Middle East crisis live: 'We have not even begun', Iran warns US amid escalation in Strait of Hormuz

The confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz intensified on Tuesday after the U.S. military said it had helped two merchant vessels transit the waterway and Iranian officials issued fresh warnings to Washington.

U.S. Central Command said on May 3 that it would support Project Freedom in the strait to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping. In a transcript released on May 4, CENTCOM said the U.S. opened a passage through the strait and that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels successfully transited.

CENTCOM said the operation includes guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members. The move is meant to keep commercial shipping moving through one of the world's most sensitive energy chokepoints.

Iranian officials, however, say U.S. actions are endangering shipping rather than protecting it. An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander warned that foreign armed forces would be targeted if they approached or entered the strait, while Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on May 5 that the situation was unbearable for the U.S. and that Iran had "not even started yet."

The latest statements leave the status of the route politically volatile, even as the U.S. says the escort mission is already working. The next question is whether more commercial ships will attempt the passage and whether Iran follows its warnings with action.