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The battle for the Strait of Hormuz appears to be underway. Iranian state television showing these pictures and claiming warning shots have been fired at American warships. America released images of its own showcasing its personnel in the Persian Gulf as it claimed to have destroyed seven Iranian boats and shot down Iranian missiles and drones as it launched what it called Project Freedom to support, not escort, trapped commercial vessels through the vital shipping lane. It says two US flagged ships have now made it through, though Iran disputes this.
They don't have a navy anymore. Think of it. They had 159 ships. How many do they have left, Kellyanne? 159, take a guess. She's very smart. Zero. Iran's government continues to insist it will meet the Americans head-on. Its foreign ministry spokesman, when asked why Iran doesn't roll over to its superpower adversary, replied, "We are a superpower, too." And on state TV, a warning from the Iranian military. Maritime movements that do not conform to the declared principles of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy will face serious risks and violating vessels will be stopped with force.
Iran has released a map claiming new control lines of the sea between Iranian territory and the United Arab Emirates. Currently, around a thousand vessels and 20,000 maritime crew are stuck in the Persian Gulf. With America claiming a South Korean vessel has been hit, the real test is whether it can entice trapped crews through the blockaded strait. It is quite disturbing and my crew morale is again going down. So, it is really a very upset to know again they are attacking merchant ships. Our you know, prime priority is to keep the vessels safe at the moment. Just maintain our position and wait for right opportunity and wait for war to come and end or wait for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen safely. But some are optimistic Operation
Freedom could break the deadlock. Potentially, it could work if you're able to deny the Iranians the situational awareness and you're able to provide a level of assurance and protection to the ships that go through, then potentially it could work. But we also have to keep in mind that the Iranians have many cards up their sleeve and they still have the mindset that they could potentially put into play and so the situation is potentially very dynamic. There's no doubt this is a war now in its third month which has entered a high-stakes and dangerous phase. Lisa Holland, Sky News.
