Ship seized near Strait of Hormuz by ‘unauthorized personnel,’ brought toward Iran

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President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping has said he will not provide military equipment to Iran, which has been a central focus of the high-stakes meeting marking a possible win for the Trump administration.

Xi "said he's not going to give military equipment. That's a big statement. He said that today. That's a big statement. (He) said that strongly," Trump said to Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday.

The pledge comes as the Trump administration increasingly has cast China not just as an economic rival, but as a key enabler of adversarial regimes, with Beijing’s economic and material support for Iran emerging as a central focus of this week’s high-stakes talks with Xi.

U.S. officials have increasingly accused China of helping prop up Iran’s military and economic strength through oil purchases, dual-use exports and intermediary networks.

Trump added that Xi also offered to help end the conflict.

"He said, if I can be of any help at all, I would like to be of help," Trump said.

The White House and Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment on the matter.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Ashley J. DiMella.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) shared an image showing a U.S. Air Force F-16 launching into the night sky from a military base in the Middle East as American forces continue operations across the region amid heightened tensions tied to Iran.

“A U.S. Air Force F-16 takes off from a base in the Middle East for a night flight,” CENTCOM said on X. “Air Force fighter aircraft regularly patrol the skies over the Middle East in support of regional security.”

The night-vision image captures the fighter jet accelerating down the runway with its afterburner illuminating the darkness behind it. The post comes as the U.S. maintains an increased military posture across the Middle East following months of escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel and U.S. forces in the region.

American aircraft have continued conducting patrol, surveillance and strike missions since the Iran war erupted earlier this year after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday there is broad international opposition to Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, arguing the U.S. is one of the few countries actively taking steps to prevent it.

“I don't know if there's a country on the planet – I don't know about North Korea – but, I don't know if there's a country on the planet that is in favor of this regime and Iran having nuclear weapons,” Rubio told NBC News. “I don't know of any. I think the difference is we actually are trying to do something about it.

“Other countries are against it, but they're not willing to do anything about it, so I think the Chinese simply reiterated what has been their position in the past, which is that they don't want to see them have a nuclear weapon,” he continued. “The Russians would say the same thing, right? Certainly all of their Gulf neighbors would say the same thing as well.

“I think the difference, of course, is we're actually trying to do something about it,” Rubio added.

Before the Iran war, President Donald Trump was "poised" to strike a "better deal" with the regime than the President Barack Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent asserted in a Thursday post on X.

"Prior to letting the Israelis lead us into this war, President Trump was actually poised to cut a better deal than the JCPOA (aka the Obama Iran deal)," Kent wrote.

"The Iranians feared and respected Trump in a way they never respected Obama—he took out the terror mastermind Qasem Soleimani, yet was prudent enough not to get sucked into the quicksand of another Middle Eastern quagmire that would only favor Iran and strengthen its hardliners," he continued.

"That’s why, as soon as he returned to office in January 2025, the Iranians stopped their proxies from attacking us and were immediately open to negotiations," Kent added.

Find out what else Joseph Kent said about Trump and the war with Iran.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg.

The FBI announced Thursday it is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of Monica Witt, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent who was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia in February 2019 on charges of espionage, including transmitting national defense information to the Iranian government.

Witt, a former active-duty U.S. Air Force intelligence specialist and special agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, served in the military between 1997 and 2008, before working as a U.S. government contractor until 2010, according to a news release from the FBI Washington Field Office.

The 47-year-old's military service and contracting employment provided her access to secret and top secret information relating to foreign intelligence and counterintelligence, including the true names of U.S. Intelligence Community undercover personnel.

Officials allege that in 2013, Witt defected to Iran and provided information to the country's government, placing sensitive and classified U.S. national defense information and programs at risk, according to the indictment.

Find out more about the allegations against Witt.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch.

Iran’s foreign minister accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday of being directly involved in military operations against Iran during the ongoing regional conflict.

Reuters reported Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made the remarks during a BRICS meeting in New Delhi in response to comments made by the Emirate representative.

“I didn't name the UAE in my (BRICS) statement for the sake of unity,” state media quoted Araqchi as saying. “But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country. When the attacks started, they didn't even issue a condemnation."

Araqchi said the UAE should rethink its stance toward Iran, arguing that ties to the U.S. and Israel would not guarantee the Gulf nation’s security.

"We must live side by side in peace, and this requires peaceful relations and complete understanding between the two countries," Araqchi added.

The comments came a day after the UAE denied Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that he visited the Gulf nation during the Iran war. Araqchi previously warned that “those colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account.”

According to Reuters, Araqchi also argued the UAE should reconsider its relationship with Israel and the United States, saying neither American military bases nor alliances with Israel would guarantee security in the region.

The Iran war began Feb. 28 following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. bases and other sites across Gulf countries.

Reuters contributed to this report.

House Democrats failed again Thursday to fracture Republicans’ support for President Donald Trump's Iran strategy as GOP lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected an effort to curb his war powers.

The House of Representatives deadlocked in a 212-212 vote, blocking a resolution offered by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., that would have forced Trump to end hostilities against Iran absent congressional authorization.

Every Democratic lawmaker except for Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, voted for the measure. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a leading Trump foe, and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Tom Barrett, R-Mich., were the lone Republicans to cross party lines in support of the resolution.

Several lawmakers in both parties did not vote.

Find out more about what happened with the war powers vote.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack.

President Donald Trump pushed back Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly described the U.S. as a declining nation, arguing the country has rebounded under his administration after what he called years of damage under former President Joe Biden.

“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Our Country suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, DEI, horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!”

He continued, saying the United States has seen “an incredible rise” during the first 16 months of the Trump administration, pointing to record stock markets and 401(k)s, military victories, renewed economic strength and what he described as a booming job market. Trump also touted a military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela, as well as the "military decimation" of Iran.

Trump also cited trillions of dollars in foreign investment flowing into the U.S., praised the administration’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated him on what he called the administration’s “tremendous successes” in a short period of time.

“Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi!” Trump said. “But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!”

A U.S. official said Thursday’s discussions between Israel and Lebanon showed signs of progress as negotiations continued amid broader regional tensions tied to the Iran war.

“We had a full day of productive and positive talks that lasted from 9AM to 5PM,” a senior State Department official said on background. “We look forward to continuing this tomorrow and hope to have more to share then.”

The meetings are part of ongoing diplomatic efforts by the Trump administration to ease tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border and prevent the conflict from widening further across the Middle East.

Additional details about the negotiations were not immediately released ahead of another round of talks expected Friday.

Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad warned Thursday that diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war will fail unless world leaders confront Iran’s ruling regime directly.

“You cannot end the war without ending the root cause of this endless war in the region, which is the Islamic Republic,” Alinejad told Fox News host Martha MacCallum during an appearance on “The Story.”

Alinejad also blasted ongoing diplomatic talks with Tehran, arguing the regime cannot be trusted while continuing executions and crackdowns against its own citizens.

“The regime do not have any pity for their own people,” Alinejad said. “You want to get a deal with them — how you can trust them, how literally how.”

The activist, who survived multiple alleged assassination plots tied to Iran, warned President Donald Trump against pursuing a deal similar to the Obama-era nuclear agreement.

“Nothing is going to work with the Islamic Republic,” Alinejad said. “President Trump is not going to do the same mistake as President Obama.”

Alinejad also criticized European leaders over their handling of Iran, accusing them of allowing Tehran to expand operations abroad while Russia and China strengthen ties with the regime.

“Europe is coward,” Alinejad said. “That’s why Europe is not a safe place anymore. It is a hunting ground for dictators.”

Burberry met quarterly sales expectations Thursday, though the British luxury brand warned the Iran war is hurting business in Europe and the Middle East as travel disruptions and economic uncertainty weigh on shoppers.

Reuters reported Burberry’s sales in the Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) region fell 2%, while shares dropped more than 6% as investors reacted to weaker tourism and slowing luxury spending tied to the conflict.

The company said overall sales still rose 5%, helped by stronger demand in the Americas and China after a marketing campaign aimed at younger Gen Z consumers. Sales in those markets climbed 10%.

CEO Joshua Schulman said Burberry is continuing its turnaround strategy by focusing on classic products like trench coats and scarves while rebuilding interest among younger shoppers.

Burberry posted an operating profit of 115 million pounds for the fiscal year ending March 28, rebounding from a loss a year earlier, though the company did not restore its annual dividend.

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) shared a photo of U.S. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit rappelling from an MH-60S Sea Hawk onto the USS Tripoli (LHA 7) during maritime interdiction training tied to the growing U.S. naval blockade against Iran.

The image captures Marines suspended midair above the warship’s deck as crew members below prepare to guide them in during the fast-rope exercise.

The training simulates rapid boarding and ship-seizure operations that could be used during enforcement missions in contested waters.

The USS Tripoli is one of more than 20 U.S. warships supporting the blockade operation in the region.

CENTCOM says American forces have redirected 72 commercial vessels since the mission began and disabled four ships accused of violating maritime restrictions near key Middle East shipping lanes.

President Donald Trump revealed Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping offered to help broker a deal with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz following high-stakes talks in Beijing.

"President Xi would like to see a deal made," Trump told Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview airing tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News Channel.

"And he did offer. He said, ‘If I can be of any help at all, I would like to be of help'... He'd like to see the Hormuz Strait open."

Trump also said Xi assured him China would not provide military equipment to Iran, a key point of discussion as members of the Trump administration press Beijing over its relationship with Tehran.

Find out what else Trump said about Xi’s offer.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley.

A ship was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning, the British military reported.

The ship was boarded and "taken by unauthorized personnel" while it was roughly 38 nautical miles northeast of the United Arab Emirates’ oil export terminal Fujairah, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

UKMTO spotted the ship heading toward Iranian territorial waters after the seizure.

British authorities did not release information on who the ship belonged to or who seized it. Despite the lack of official corroboration, the BBC reported that the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan was seized in the Strait on Thursday.

Find out more about the ship that was seized near the Strait of Hormuz.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy.

An India-flagged wooded cargo ship sank near Oman after suffering a fire because of a suspected drone or missile strike, a report said Thursday. 

The vessel was sailing to the United Arab Emirates from Somalia, Reuters reported, citing India’s shipping ministry. The source of the attack was not immediately clear. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the ship, which was carrying livestock, “experienced an explosion and later sank” near Limah, Oman. 

Limah is located near the Strait of Hormuz. 

“All 14 crew were recovered by Omani authorities. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, all Indian crew were safely recovered,” it added. 

British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the fire onboard the ship is believed to have been caused by a drone or missile strike, according to Reuters. 

"The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that ‌commercial shipping ⁠and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," India's foreign ministry was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided," it reportedly added.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he expects to have a "long talk" with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Iran this week, an issue now looming over a summit that was originally expected to focus heavily on trade, technology and Taiwan.

"It was a fantastic day," Trump said Thursday during a state banquet of his welcome to China and his initial round of meetings. "And in particular, I want to thank President Xi, my friend, for this magnificent welcome … and for so graciously hosting us on this very historic state visit. We had positive and productive conversations and meetings today with the Chinese delegation earlier. And this evening is another cherished opportunity to discuss among friends some of the things that we discussed today."

Instead of arriving in Beijing with the Middle East conflict behind him, Trump faces the added challenge of confronting Xi over China’s ties to Tehran while trying to preserve leverage in one of the world’s most consequential relationships.

China’s role as a top buyer of Iranian oil has long frustrated U.S. officials. But with Trump now trying to choke off Tehran’s economic lifeline, Beijing’s support for Iran is no longer a side issue.

Ahead of the summit, Trump also appeared to downplay the extent to which Iran would dominate the talks, telling reporters before departing for Beijing that "we have a lot of things to discuss" and adding, "I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control."

China purchases roughly 90% of Iran’s exported oil, making Beijing Tehran’s primary economic lifeline — though Iranian crude accounts for only about 13% to 15% of China’s total oil imports.

The Trump administration has ramped up pressure by imposing secondary sanctions on Chinese refiners processing Iranian oil — a move that threatens to cut those firms off from the U.S. financial system and underscores how the Iran conflict is increasingly colliding with the broader U.S.-China relationship.

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday that one of the U.S. strikes on Iran remains under investigation, when asked for his estimate on a total number of civilians killed or injured during Operation Epic Fury.

The Pentagon said in March that it opened a formal command investigation into a Feb. 28 strike in Minab, Iran, where Iranian regime officials claim dozens of children were killed in a strike at a school beside a military compound. 

"The investigation on the one incident that we've had after more than 13,000 strikes is still underway," Cooper told Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on Thursday during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. 

"We'll certainly be transparent and release that when we can. This is a matter that I'm passionate about. I'd like to use the occasion to invite you, other members of the committee and your staffs to Tampa to take a look at what our targeting process looks like," Cooper added, refencing CENTCOM's headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and Efrat Lachter contributed to this post.

U.S. Central Command said Thursday that its forces “have redirected 70 commercial vessels and disabled 4 to ensure compliance” with a U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports. 

CENTCOM released an image of a Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50 landing on the flight deck of the USS Truxtun, a U.S. Navy destroyer that is operating in support of the blockade. 

The blockade began on April 13, and four ships have been disabled during it, CENTCOM also said.

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday that it will take years for Iran to build back up its drone and missile forces.

"I would assess that the drone and missile force will take years to reconstitute," Cooper told lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Cooper also said Iran's "broad power projection capability no longer exists."

"They certainly cannot do it at the level of mass that we all saw, with hundreds of missiles and drones raining across the Middle East," he said, but noted "That doesn't mean they don't have any capability."

The head of U.S. Central Command said Thursday that he believes Iran’s navy won’t be able to return to the same level it had “for a generation.” 

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper described to the Senate Armed Services Committee how Operation Epic Fury, which was launched on Feb. 28, has decimated Iran’s defense industrial base. 

“Our military mission and Operation Epic Fury was crystal clear from the very outset and remained steady throughout. The mission is to degrade Iran's ability to project power on its neighbors and U.S. interests,” Cooper said. “It had three key components: degrade Iran's ballistic missiles and the defense industrial base that supports it, degrade Iran's drones and the defense industrial base that supports that and degrade their navy and the defense industrial base that supports that” 

“In each of those categories, we met all of the achievements. Each of those systems were significantly degraded. If I give you just a couple of examples, the defense industrial base for their drones and their missiles and their navy were degraded by 90%. They have about 10% left,” Cooper added. “For the Navy, my military assessment would be the Navy will not begin to rebuild for five to 10 years.” 

“Many of you serve in states that build ships. It's complex. It's particularly complex when you don't have an industrial base to build it. My professional perspective on this also is that Iran would not return to the same level of Navy that it had for a generation,” Cooper also said. 

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday that Operation Epic Fury has “cut off” Iran’s support to terrorist groups in the region. 

During a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., asked Cooper how Operation Epic Fury has “denied Iran resources for funding terrorism.” 

“So this has been a significant priority from the outset. And as we sit here today, there are no resources and equipment that are flowing from Iran to Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis,” Cooper responded. 

“Those transfer paths and methods have been cut off,” he said. 

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper told lawmakers Thursday that "Iranian-supported terror groups have attacked U.S. troops and diplomats more than 350 times” in the 30 months leading up to the launch of Operation Epic Fury. 

Cooper said to the Senate Armed Services Committee that it was the equivalent of attacks “more than every third day, killing four U.S. service members and wounding nearly 200 more.” 

“After more than two years of Iranian attempts to leverage October 7th of 2023 to tear the region apart, at the direction of the president, the United States Central Command initiated Operation Epic Fury,” Cooper said, referencing Hamas’ invasion of Israel.  

“In less than 40 days, CENTCOM forces achieved our military objectives. Most notably, we degraded Iran's ability to project power outside its borders and threaten the region and threaten our interests,” Cooper added. 

U.S. Central Command said its leader, Adm. Brad Cooper, will testify this morning on Capitol Hill about CENTCOM's posture during the war against Iran.

The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing is expected to begin at 10 a.m. ET.

In support of Operation Epic Fury, which was launched on Feb. 28, CENTCOM has been maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports.

A Lebanese official told Reuters that Lebanon will demand a ceasefire with Israel as the two sides meet Thursday in Washington for what the State Department has described as two days of “intensive talks.” 

Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group have been exchanging fire along the Israel-Lebanon border region in recent days despite President Donald Trump announcing a ceasefire between both countries in mid-April. 

An Israeli government spokesperson told Reuters that this week’s discussions include a goal of disarming Hezbollah and reaching a peace deal. 

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said last week that, “The United States will facilitate two days of intensive talks between the governments of Israel and Lebanon on May 14 and 15.” 

“Building on the April 23 round, which was led personally by President Trump, both delegations will engage in detailed discussions aimed at advancing a comprehensive peace and security agreement that substantively addresses the core concerns of both countries,” he added. “These talks aim to break decisively from the failed approach of the past two decades, which allowed terrorist groups to entrench and enrich themselves, undermine the authority of the Lebanese state, and endanger Israel’s northern border.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that he believes China will “do what they can” to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

Bessent made the remark as President Donald Trump is in Bejing, China, to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

Bessent told CNBC that “China has a much bigger interest in reopening the strait than the U.S. does” as it gets about a third of its energy needs from the Persian Gulf. 

“So, a reopening of the strait benefits China,” he added. “Unfortunately, they’ve been buying, they were the largest consumer of Iranian oil. They were buying about 90 percent of it. Iranian oil represented about 10 percent of their energy that they took in."

A former FBI agent is urging President Trump to send a stark warning to Iran ahead of the World Cup, saying that the country's sleeper cells could pose a threat to the global sporting event.

With the FIFA World Cup kicking off in June, former Navy SEAL and FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam urged Trump to send Iran a message: back off or face the consequences.

"I would hope that the president makes it known before this occurs, that if Iran does anything during these World Cup events, that it's going to be not just a retaliatory strike, but that would be the end of any talks and that he will lay waste to everything and anything that is the Iranian regime if that occurs," Gilliam said.

Gilliam also made a provocative suggestion how Trump should send a warning message to Iran.

"I think if the president did that, and he showed that he was very serious, gave some sign, dropped a MOAB in the middle of nowhere in Iran and said, 'this is what's going to occur if you if you touch anyone in the United States.' ... This is what's coming to you," Gilliam said. "A MOAB, that's the largest non-nuclear conventional bomb in the world in history. And you can drop that somewhere and make a dramatic impact if the president was to show force like Iran does."

"They play diplomat, but they understand force, and so I would recommend that the president examine possibilities like that and that he makes it known that 'you do anything here, then that's it,'" he added.

Gilliam said that there are already sleeper cells in the U.S. The question is whether they will be activated to carry out an attack during the World Cup.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused Kuwait of trying to "sow discord" after the country announced earlier this week that it arrested four "infiltrators" who allegedly confessed to belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Kuwait's government said on Tuesday that the individuals were attempting to enter Bubiyan Island by sea to carry out "hostile acts."

Kuwait's ministries of defense and foreign affairs said the group clashed with Kuwaiti Armed Forces on May 1, wounding two of the "infiltrators" and one Kuwaiti service member.

During an interrogation, the group allegedly confessed to belonging to the IRGC and "confessed to being tasked with infiltrating Bubiyan Island aboard a fishing boat that had been specially chartered to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait," the defense ministry said, according to a translation.

Araghchi then said Wednesday, "In clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf."

"This illegal act took place near island used by the U.S. to attack Iran," he added. "We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve right to respond."

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that multiple Israelis were injured by an “explosive drone” launched by the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“A short time ago, an explosive drone launched by the terrorist organization Hezbollah fell in the territory of the State of Israel, near the Lebanese border. As a result, several Israeli citizens were injured and evacuated to receive further medical treatment at the hospital,” the IDF said on X. 

“This is a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings by the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” it added. 

Two of the three Israelis were severely injured, The Associated Press reported, citing the Israeli military and hospitals. 

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

A swarm of more than 300 Iranian fast-attack boats was identified in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington continued.

According to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI, 342 boats were deployed across five monitored zones — a “step down from yesterday’s 454, but still elevated compared with the 27 to 230 range observed between May 4 and May 10,” the firm said in a post shared on X.

On May 11, a swarm of about 200 Iranian fast-attack boats brought the Strait of Hormuz to a virtual standstill, the firm said.

Windward also reported a heavy concentration of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small craft inside the northern Hormuz Corridor, using “swarm-style formations” and “escort-like behavior” to disrupt commercial traffic.

“The swarm coincides with a total halt in commercial movement, with all large-hull vessels currently observed as stationary,” Windward said.

Iran also expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into a “vast operational area” far wider than before the conflict, according to reports.

Citing Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director of the IRGC Navy, the state-affiliated Fars News Agency reported May 12 that the strait is no longer viewed as a narrow stretch around a handful of islands.

Instead, it has been expanded in both scope and military significance, Akbarzadeh said, according to Reuters.

The British military said Thursday that it received a report of a ship being seized while anchored of the coast of the United Arab Emirates, and that the vessel is now heading toward Iran. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the ship “was taken by unauthorized personnel” while it was about 38 nautical miles northeast of the United Arab Emirates’ oil export terminal of Fujairah. 

The ship was not named, and there were no immediate reports of responsibility. 

The incident comes as tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. military also enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in the region. 

Yesterday's Fox News Digital liveblog has additional coverage of the Iran conflict.