The US says navy destroyers and US-flagged merchant ships have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran claiming this is "entirely false"
On Sunday, Trump said the US would start helping stranded vessels out of the shipping lane - an estimated 20,000 seafarers on 2,000 ships have been stuck since the US-Iran war began in February. Here's what we know - and don't - about the US's plan
Iran's military says it fired warning shots at a US warship - earlier, the US denied a claim in Iranian state media that Iranian missiles had hit a US ship
"This is a serious warning... the Strait of Hormuz remains closed" - Iranian media has published an audio message said to be from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Cargo ships from South Korea and the UAE report being hit in the strait on Monday - no injuries were reported
The UAE's defence ministry says it has intercepted three missiles launched from Iran, while a fourth fell into the sea.
In a post on social media, it says explosions heard in parts of the country were due to the interceptions.
This comes shortly after the country's emergency management authority said it was responding to missile threats.
Iran has not commented on the attack.
The UAE says its air defences are responding to a missile threat.
The country's National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority is urging people to stay in a safe place.
This comes after an earlier missile alert was sent to UAE residents. South Korean officials have also said a cargo vessel anchored in waters near the UAE may have been struck, causing an explosion.
Image source, ISNA/WANA/ReutersIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has called the US claim about ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz “outright lies”.
Earlier, US Central Command said two US-flagged merchant vessels had “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz”.
Now, Iranian state media have shared a statement from the IRGC saying “no commercial vessels or oil tankers” have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in “recent hours”.
The IRGC says the US statements are “baseless and entirely false”, and warns that any other movements against the instructions of the IRGC Navy “face serious risks”.
There’s been a suspected strike on a South Korean cargo vessel anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the country’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
At about 12:40 BST (11:40 GMT), a "suspected strike" was reported on a cargo vessel named HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry says.
The vessel was reportedly anchored in waters near the UAE. There are 24 crew members on board, including six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals, according to the ministry. No casualties have been reported.
The ministry says an explosion is believed to have occurred on the port side of the engine room during the suspected strike.
This comes after reports from the UAE that a tanker linked to Adnoc, its state-owned oil company, was hit in the Strait of Hormuz earlier today.
Earlier, Iranian state media reported that the military had hit a US destroyer trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz - something the US has denied.
We've now had further comment from the Iranian military.
It says the Iranian Army Navy "issued a warning and fired warning shots along the route of the hostile enemy destroyers".
The Iranian military says US destroyers turned off their radars before approaching the strait, and were "detected immediately" after reactivating them.
The destroyers then received a radio warning from the Navy "regarding the dangers of violating the ceasefire", the Iranian military adds.
Another "explicit warning" was sent to the destroyer, according to the Iranian military, saying that "any attempt to enter the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire and would be met with a response from naval forces".
It says warning shots were fired after the Americans "disregarded" the warning.
By Emma Pengelly
We've been checking the ship tracking tool MarineTraffic after US Central Command (Centcom) said two US-flagged merchant vessels "successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz".
We haven't seen vessels matching this description on MarineTraffic but are continuing to monitor the site.
As we mentioned earlier, MarineTraffic publishes details about vessels including their locations using information broadcast by an onboard tracker called Automatic Identification System (AIS).
But vessels can also turn off their location transmissions, meaning they wouldn't be visible on tracking platforms like MarineTraffic. It's also possible for vessels to falsify their positions, a process known as spoofing.
Image source, ReutersDonald Trump says the US military will guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz - but Iran insists any ships wanting to cross the crucial shipping passage will need its permission.
Here’s what else to know:
Centcom says plan is working: In an update, it says two US-flagged merchant ships have crossed the strait - Iran has yet to comment.
Conflicting messages: Iran says it stopped a US destroyer from entering the strait. US Central Command (Centcom) denies this, saying none of its ships have been struck.
Thousands still trapped: Sailors have been trapped in the waterway since the start of the war - with supplies said to be dwindling, our international correspondent reports.
Oil prices rise again: Oil prices have jumped after Iran said it hit a US destroyer, soaring to $114 per barrel - a 5% rise from the market opening.
Frank Gardner
Security correspondent
United Arab Emirates residents have just received a missile alert from the Ministry of Interior.
Shortly afterwards, an all clear message was sent, telling residents "the situation is currently safe" and that normal activities can resume.
It's not yet clear what triggered the warning.
Any plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz comes with "significant risk", says a retired US navy captain.
Kevin Eyer, who previously commanded three warship cruisers, tells the BBC News channel that it's unclear whether the US intends to "guide and coordinate, or to actually go in and do a classic convoy situation".
"The difference between these two things is the difference between night and day. The active escort is the most dangerous and fraught solution," he says.
Eyer points out that Iran still has a number of anti-ship ballistic missiles, as many as 1,000 anti-ship drones, and "hundreds of fast patrol boats which can be armed with rockets".
The US says navy destroyers and US-flagged merchant ships have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's military earlier said it would attack US forces if they entered the strait.
US Central Command (Centcom) has issued a short update.
It says two US-flagged merchant vessels have "successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz".
Centcom adds that US Navy guided-missile destroyers are operating in the Gulf after transiting through the Strait.
"American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping," the update says.
Centcom has not provided the names of the vessels which it says have successfully sailed through the strait.
Iran's claim that it hit a US Navy vessel earlier has been rejected by the American military - here's how the conflicting narratives emerged:
The United Arab Emirates says a tanker affiliated with Adnoc, its state-owned oil company, has been hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
No one has been injured, the country's foreign ministry says in a statement, adding:
"This attack constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolution 2817, which affirmed the importance of freedom of navigation, and rejected the targeting of commercial vessels or the obstruction of international maritime routes.
"Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, and constitutes a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security."
The UAE has called for Iran to stop the attack and "ensure its full commitment to an immediate cessation of all hostilities, and the complete and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz".
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian
Fars Plus, an outlet associated with Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, has published two voice notes attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In them, warnings are issued in Persian and English to vessels in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman saying the strait "remains closed".
I've listened in and this is what the messages say:
"This is a serious warning from the naval forces of the IRGC. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and passage through it without the permission of the Islamic Republic of Iran and outside the designated route is prohibited.
"If any vessel passes without permission at longitude 56°00′ East in the Persian Gulf and latitude 25°40′ North in the Sea of Oman, it will be struck and destroyed."
Ben King
Business reporter
Oil prices spiked sharply in response to reports from Iranian state media that two missiles hit a US warship as it tried to enter the Strait of Hormuz.
The Brent crude benchmark price soared by more than $4 per barrel within minutes of the news breaking, to hit $114, more than 5% up on the day's opening price.
It fell back slightly after the US denied the strike took place.
Late last night, Donald Trump announced a plan to guide stuck vessels out of the Gulf, calling it a "humanitarian gesture".
If the attempt to sail ships through the strait leads to another outbreak of hostilities, that would reduce the chances of flows of oil and gas resuming and be likely to send oil prices soaring even further.
US Central Command (Centcom) denies that one of its warships has been struck by two Iranian missiles.
In a post on X, Centcom says "no US Navy ships have been struck". It adds: "U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports."
The Iranian military earlier claimed that it had prevented a US Navy destroyer from entering the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars, the semi-official Iranian news agency, said a vessel was hit by two missiles as it was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz "in violation of traffic and shipping security".
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesOn Sunday, Donald Trump announced plans for the US to "guide" stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz. Dubbed "Project Freedom", here's what we know - so far.
What we know
What we don't know
The UN has said that 2,000 ships and 20,000 seafarers are currently stuck at sea in the strait
A reporter from US outlet Axios says a senior US official - who isn't named - has denied one of its ships was hit by Iranian missiles.
The Iranian military earlier claimed it had prevented a US Navy destroyer from entering the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars, the semi-official Iranian news agency, says a vessel was hit by two missiles as it was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz "in violation of traffic and shipping security".
According to claims by Fars, an American ship was "forced to retreat and flee the area".
The BBC has contacted Centcom and the Pentagon for clarification.
Joe Inwood
World news correspondent
The president’s plan to guide ships out of the Strait of Hormuz - announced as so often via social media - raised many questions.
First among them was whether it was being done with Iran’s consent - or over their heads. The initial post said it was "a humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern countries but, in particular, the country of Iran".
A statement read on Iranian State TV appeared to answer this, saying the strait was "under the control of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran".
Thousands of sailors have been trapped in the waterway since the start of the war - with supplies said to be dwindling. The US president says it will be a one-way journey - implying this is not about unblocking the Strait of Hormuz - but rather saying it is a "humanitarian gesture", calling the sailors "innocent bystanders".
The statement from US Central Command, which usually offers more clarity, did not specify what form this support would take, simply saying US forces would "support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit" the Strait.
There is a vast difference between offering information and guidance to a ship - and actually providing a military escort. If they propose to do the latter, it could well bring them back into direct military confrontation with Iran.
The statement from the IRGC about their response was unequivocal: "We warn that any foreign armed forces - especially the aggressive U.S. military - that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted."
This operation, which Trump called an act of "goodwill", has the potential to become a dangerous flashpoint.
The Iranian military is claiming it has prevented a US Navy destroyer from entering the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reports that the public relations arm of the army says: "With a firm and swift warning from the Islamic Republic Navy, the entry of American and Zionist enemy destroyers into the Strait of Hormuz was prevented."
This comes hours after Donald Trump said the US military would begin helping stranded ships out of the vital passage. US Central Command (Centcom) has explained how it plans to support the operation - read more on that here.
We're working to find out more about this claim and will bring you the latest when we have it.
Iranian state media is reporting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued maps showing the "new area" of the Strait of Hormuz, which it claims is controlled by Iranian forces.
The IRGC is reported to have said that the controlled areas are indicated by the line drawn between Mount Mubarak in Iran and south of Fujairah in the UAE and the other line between the tip of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in the UAE.
The US is yet to respond to the maps and what they claim to show.
Image source, FarsThis map was shared by Iranian state media - the US is yet to respond to what it claims to show
