Tehran, 5 May 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned the United States against a military approach to the crisis over the blocked Strait of Hormuz.

"Project Freedom is Project Deadlock," Araghchi wrote on X early on Tuesday, referring to US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the blockade of the waterway. "Events in Hormuz make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis," he wrote.

Iran also has an interest in exporting its oil through the Strait of Hormuz. However, it remains disputed which ships should be allowed to pass through the waterway and who should control it.

"As talks are making progress with Pakistan's gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE," Araghchi said.

Trump announced the start of an operation dubbed "Project Freedom" on Sunday, aimed at helping merchant ships leave the Gulf. 

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday that US destroyers in the Gulf were assisting efforts to restore commercial shipping and that two US-flagged merchant ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. There was no independent confirmation of the claim.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired several missiles towards the US warships as a warning. Iran also confirmed an attack on oil facilities in the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. A military source cited by state media said the attack had not been initially planned and was triggered by what it described as an "illegal passage" of US warships through the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire between the United States and Iran was agreed on April 8 under Pakistani mediation, but now appears increasingly fragile. Talks between the parties to the conflict have so far failed to produce results.

The reopening of the waterway, which is important for global oil trade, is one of the sticking points in negotiations between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict, along with Iran's nuclear programme.

Photo: X