Three wounded in strike targeting energy installation in UAE's Fujairah

A strike targeting an energy installation in the emirate of  Fujairah on Monday left three people injured, according to the government media office there.

"Three Indian nationals sustained moderate injuries and have been transferred to the hospital to receive necessary treatment," the Fujairah media office said in a post on social media.

Earlier, two people were injured when a residential building was targeted in Oman's Bukha along the coastline of the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported on Monday.

"A security source reported that a residential building for employees of a company in the Tibat area of Bukha was targeted, resulting in moderate injuries to two expatriates, damage to four vehicles and broken glass in one of the nearby houses," the Oman News Agency said.

Iranian media said Monday that a US navy frigate was targeted by two missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump said US forces would begin guiding ships through the waterway.

"The frigate, which was sailing on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, in violation of navigation and maritime safety rules near (the port of) Jask, was targeted by a missile attack after ignoring a warning from the Iranian navy," the Fars news agency said, without citing a source.

Trump had said the United States would on Monday begin guiding ships through the strategic strait, which was a major transport route for oil, gas and fertiliser before the Middle East war broke out and Iran blockaded the waterway.

US destroyers enter Gulf

US guided-missile destroyers have entered the Gulf as part of a mission to escort ships through the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, the US military said on Monday.

The warships "are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, referring to the operation announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

"American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping," CENTCOM said, adding that "two US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey."

'Abandon excessive demands'

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that the United States must reduce its demands on the Islamic republic, with negotiations stalled over ending the two-month-long Middle East war.

"At this stage, our priority is to end the war," he said in a briefing broadcast by state television. "The other side must commit to a reasonable approach and abandon its excessive demands regarding Iran."

Negotiations between the two countries have been stalled since a ceasefire took effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far.

A key sticking point has been Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel launched strikes on February 28, choking off major flows of oil, gas and fertiliser, while the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.

But US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington would begin escorting ships through the waterway, drawing a threat of attacks from the Iranian military.

"By now, the Americans should have learned that they cannot use the language of threats and force against the Iranian nation," said Baqaei.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has shown that it considers itself the guardian and protector of the Strait of Hormuz and this vital waterway."

He said the strait was a "secure and safe route" for international shipping before the war.

"The international community must hold the United States and the Zionist regime accountable for imposing insecurity on this waterway and for creating problems that are being felt across the world," he added, referring to Israel.

Baqaei told state television before Trump's announcement of an escort plan that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal "focused on ending the war," and that Washington had responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators.

Iran warning

Iran's military warned on Monday that US forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump said the United States would begin escorting ships through the waterway.

Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran took effect on April 8, with Tehran's stranglehold on the strait a main point of contention.

Trump said on Sunday that the new maritime operation, which he dubbed "Project Freedom", was a "humanitarian" gesture for crews aboard the many ships swept up in the blockade who may be running low on food and other supplies.

"We will use best efforts to get their Ships and Crews safely out of the Strait. In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation," Trump posted on Truth Social, saying operations would begin on Monday.

In response, the Iranian military's central command said any safe passage through Hormuz must be coordinated with its forces "under all circumstances".

"We warn that any foreign armed force -- especially the aggressive US military -- if they intend to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be targeted and attacked," said Major General Ali Abdollahi in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

By blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has choked off major flows of oil, gas and fertiliser to the world economy, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Trump in his post said he was "fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all."

But he made no direct mention of a 14-point plan that Tehran said it put forward last week to end the war.

US Central Command said it would use guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members in the Hormuz effort.

As of April 29, more than 900 commercial vessels were located in the Gulf, according to maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine.

'Impossible operation' 

US news website Axios, citing two sources briefed on the Iranian proposal, reported that Tehran set "a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the strait", lift the US naval blockade and end the war.

On Sunday, the Revolutionary Guards sought to put the onus back on Trump, saying he must choose between "an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran".

Washington's European allies are concerned that the longer the strait remains closed, the more their economies will suffer, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul demanded that it be reopened.

In a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Wadephul stressed that Germany supported a negotiated solution but that "Iran must completely and verifiably renounce nuclear weapons and immediately open the Strait of Hormuz".

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, who has tried to coordinate a post-war mission to the strait alongside Britain and an international coalition, called for "a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran".

"That is the only solution for reopening", he said.

Oil prices are currently about 50 percent above pre-conflict levels, largely due to the supply snarls in the strait.

'Suffocating the regime'

The US president, who spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, declined on Sunday to specify what could trigger new US military action.

But in his post he said that "if in any way, this Humanitarian (ship-guiding) process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully".

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US naval blockade was only part of a broader economic embargo.

"We are suffocating the regime, and they are not able to pay their soldiers," he told Fox News. "This is a real economic blockade, and it is in all parts of government."

Macron urges 'coordinated reopening' of Hormuz

French President Emmanuel Macron urged the United States and Iran Monday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a "coordinated" way, as the US military pressed ahead with a mission to escort ships out of the waterway.

"What we want above all is a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran -- that is the only solution for reopening the Strait of Hormuz," Macron said at a meeting of European leaders in Armenia.

"We are not going to take part in any military operation in a framework that to me seems unclear," said the French leader, whose country has with Britain led efforts to assemble a coalition to reopen the strait once peace is secured.

Tanker struck near the UAE

Unidentified projectiles struck a tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Monday, adding that all crew members were safe.

The incident occurred 78 nautical miles north of the UAE city of Fujairah, the agency said.

US 'interference' would violate ceasefire

In response to Trump's announcement, a senior Iranian official warned on Monday that Tehran would consider any US attempt to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz a breach of the ongoing ceasefire.

"Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire," Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission in Iran's parliament, posted on X.

Iran weighs US response to plan

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Sunday the United States faced a choice between an "impossible" military operation or a deal with Tehran, after Trump disparaged Iran's latest peace proposal.

Iran's foreign ministry said Tehran had submitted a 14-point plan "focused on ending the war" and that Washington had already responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators, which Iran was reviewing.

Germany not 'giving up' on working with US

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he would not give up on working with Trump, despite a spat between the leaders over the Iran war and Trump's announcement that the number of US troops stationed in the European country would be cut by "a lot further than 5,000."

"I am not giving up on working on the transatlantic relationship," Merz told public broadcaster ARD. "Nor am I giving up on working with Donald Trump."

US says blockade 'suffocating' Iran

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that the US was "suffocating" Iran's leadership through an "economic blockade" launched alongside Washington's military offensive known as Operation Epic Fury.

"This began with the order last March from President Trump on max pressure, and three weeks ago the president gave the order to Treasury myself to begin Economic Fury," Bessent told Fox News.

Israel's Lebanon warning

Israel's military issued new evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon for villages beyond the area it occupies, despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The warning covers more than 10 villages and towns, including several in the district of Nabatieh, which lies north of the Litani River.

Sunday strikes by Israel on southern Lebanon killed at least one person and wounded four rescuers on Sunday, the Lebanese health ministry said.

Iran executes three men

Iran executed three men after they were convicted of involvement in anti-government protests that rocked the country in December and January, authorities said Monday.

Arrests and executions in Iran, particularly linked to the protests that began in December over living costs, have been on the rise since the start of the regional war triggered by a US-Israeli attack on February 28.

"Mehdi Rassouli and Mohammad Reza Miri, Mossad agents involved in the January riots in Mashhad (northeast), responsible for widespread violence and the death of a member of the security forces, were hanged," said the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website, referring to the Israeli spy agency.

The court accused the two men of "using Molotov cocktails and bladed weapons, inciting and encouraging others to kill, and directly participating in the murder of a security officer".

"Ebrahim Dolatabadi, one of the main instigators of the riots in Mashhad that claimed the lives of several members of the security forces, was also hanged," Mizan added.

The sentences were carried out after the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict for all three men, said Mizan.

According to Iranian authorities, the wave of protests that peaked in January began peacefully before descending into "riots fomented by foreign powers".

The government has acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths in the protests but blames the violence on "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

On Sunday, a man was executed for his role in a murder committed during another round of protests that rocked Iran in 2022-2023 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman.

Iran is the world's most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups.

Last year it hanged at least 1,500 people, according to figures from Norway-based Iran Human Rights, which says Iran has executed 12 people in cases linked to the protests of 2022-2023.