New attacks in Strait of Hormuz challenge Iran ceasefire

Summary

The U.S. military said it disabled two Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday after exchanging fire overnight, adding to a run of clashes that Washington says have unfolded alongside a ceasefire it insists is still in effect.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Friday that he hopes to receive “a serious offer” from Iran later Friday, as Washington continued to wait for an Iranian response to a proposal aimed at ending the war, reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

The U.S. military said the two tankers were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran’s ports. Earlier Friday, it said U.S. forces thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait. The AP reported the U.S. military posted video showing an American fighter jet striking the tankers’ smokestacks.

At the same time, the UAE said three people were wounded after air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran. It was not clear from the UAE report whether all were intercepted.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called “hostile” U.S. military action and said it violated the ceasefire. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure,” framing the U.S. strikes as a failure to pursue negotiations.

The AP also reported that an earlier U.S. strike overnight killed at least one sailor and injured 10 others aboard a cargo vessel that caught fire, citing a news agency affiliated with Iran’s judiciary. The AP said it was not clear whether that vessel was among the tankers the U.S. acknowledged striking.

Beyond the military exchanges, the reported disruptions to maritime traffic and energy shipping remained a central element of the standoff. The AP reported that Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, while the U.S. imposed its own blockade of Iran’s ports, contributing to spikes in fuel prices and instability in world markets.

Separately, satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press showed what appears to be an oil slick in the Persian Gulf emanating from the western side of Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude export terminal. Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward AI, said images taken Friday showed the slick covering about 71 square kilometers and appeared to show oil still leaking from the terminal. Daniel estimated the equivalent of roughly 80,000 oil barrels spilled from Kharg Island since the slick was first detected by satellite images Tuesday, adding that it was unknown whether the spill was caused by a malfunction, an airstrike or something else.

Greenpeace Germany’s Nina Noelle said preliminary assessment and recent images suggested the spill was beginning to disperse and appeared unlikely to impact land, while noting that, depending on wind, waves and current conditions, parts of the slick could still possibly affect sensitive marine habitats. The AP reported the Pentagon declined to comment on whether the U.S. military was tracking the spill or whether there had been recent strikes on the Iranian island, and said the spill occurred before the most recent round of U.S. strikes based on imagery taken earlier in the week.

Rubio also criticized what he described as Iran’s effort to formalize control of the strait by creating a government agency that vets and taxes ships seeking passage. He told reporters Friday that it is “unacceptable” for Iran to control such an international waterway. The AP reported that Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Iran has created an entity known as the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, and that the effort raised concerns for international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels reportedly bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach open sea.

The AP reported the conflict has effectively kept the strait closed for oil, gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products, while the U.S. has continued a blockade of Iranian ports. The AP also reported that China has continued to import oil from Iran despite the effective closure and that China’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern after an attack on a Chinese-crewed oil tanker near the strait; it reported there were no casualties.

In Washington, President Donald Trump reiterated that the ceasefire is holding and has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran does not accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program, according to the AP. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told reporters his country has been in contact with the U.S. and Iran “day and night” in an effort to extend the ceasefire and reach a peace deal.

The AP said it was awaiting an Iranian response to the latest U.S. proposal as the attacks continued, leaving the ceasefire’s fate uncertain.