The U.S. Southern Command on Monday sank an Ecuadorian vessel in the Pacific that the United States alleged was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros and involved in drug trafficking. According to AP, it was the latest in a series of U.S. actions against boats in Latin America suspected of trafficking drugs. Relatives of people aboard a vessel named the Maria Candelaria, intercepted two days earlier by U.S. authorities, sought information about them at the port in Manta, Ecuador.

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Ross, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile warship, has docked in Mombasa, Kenya, prompting questions about its presence, according to the Tanzania Times. The vessel is part of Carrier Strike Group 10 and has been operating within the U.S. 5th Fleet's area of responsibility. Its recent activities have included supporting Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East. The report does not specify the purpose or duration of the port call in Mombasa.

Iran has threatened the United States with new measures it describes as economic warfare, including missile action, and vowed to establish a maritime exclusion zone, according to TimesLIVE. The reported threats come as US sanctions on Tehran intensify and as Houthi forces launched an attack on Saudi Arabia. The developments signal heightened tensions across the Gulf region involving Iran, the United States and its regional allies.

The United Nations announced plans to evacuate sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned Iran that it is not permissible for any country to impose fees on ships navigating through the strait, emphasizing the importance of free passage in international waters.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has increased following a recent deal between the US and Iran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. On Saturday, 42 ships transited the waterway, indicating a significant rise in maritime activity in the region since the agreement was reached.

The United Nations has begun evacuating approximately 11,000 sailors who have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz since the onset of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28, which led to Tehran effectively closing off this crucial maritime route.