Iran War Live: U.S. and Iran Clash Over Strait of Hormuz as 'Project Freedom' Stalls

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively frozen despite President Trump's high-profile "Project Freedom" initiative to escort commercial vessels through the vital shipping channel. With roughly 1,600 ships and 20,000 seafarers stranded in or near the waterway, the operation has barely moved the needle—only four ships crossed on Monday, and none on Tuesday, compared to the pre-war average of 130 vessels daily. The bottleneck reflects a fragile ceasefire that's already showing dangerous cracks.

The situation deteriorated rapidly on Tuesday when the United Arab Emirates reported Iranian missile and drone attacks for the second consecutive day, injuring three people at a major oil port and hitting an oil tanker. While U.S. Central Command claimed American forces destroyed six Iranian speedboats and shot down cruise missiles on Monday, Iran's state broadcaster dismissed the escort effort as a failure and claimed control of the strait had "intensified." Both sides are engaged in a tense blame game with wildly conflicting narratives about who controls the waterway and whether the four-week-old truce is holding.

Trump administration officials maintain the ceasefire is solid despite the Iranian attacks, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisting "we have control of that strait, which we do" while framing the military effort as defensive and temporary. Yet Trump himself refused to clearly define what would constitute a ceasefire violation, cryptically telling reporters: "You'll find out, because I'll let you know." The president claimed Iran "wants to make a deal" but is "playing games," while simultaneously dismissing the Iranian attacks as minor and declaring his blockade "amazing." The economic stakes are enormous—oil prices retreated slightly as investors grappled with the continued uncertainty, and shipping companies face a critical decision about whether to risk moving cargo through a waterway where the rules of engagement remain deliberately ambiguous.