Explosion Hits Ship as Trump's Hormuz Push Meets Reality

By Parisa Hafezi, Ahmed Tolba and Idrees Ali

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) – A South Korean ship was hit by an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Iranian drones caused a fire at a UAE oil port, as Tehran demonstrated its grip on Middle East oil after U.S. President Donald Trump said his Navy would open the strait.

The U.S. military said two U.S. merchant ships had made it through the strait, without saying when. Iran denied any crossings had taken place, and there was no indication that Trump’s “Project Freedom” had led to a meaningful surge of shipping through the waterway.

Trump’s