Hegseth says U.S. operation to protect commercial ships in the waterway is temporary and Washington is not looking for a fight

The U.S. military on Monday denied claims that Iran struck a navy vessel as U.S. forces now offer to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began.

Tensions seem to be escalating in the Middle East after the United States and Iran exchanged gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's military warned U.S. forces on Monday not to enter the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump said the United States would start helping to free ships stranded in the Gulf.

The ceasefire in the Middle East was in peril Tuesday after the United States and Iran traded fire and threats over President Donald Trump's new mission to force open the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military said it fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats targeting civilian ships as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

The U.S. military said it battled Iranian forces and sank six small boats as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

The U.S. military is rejecting claims that Iran struck a U.S. Navy vessel.