The U.S. military said Friday that its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers attempting to breach an American blockade of Iran’s ports, after thwarting overnight attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes further frayed a month-old ceasefire that has failed to halt the cycle of violence in the critical waterway. The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said separately that three people were wounded when air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran, though it was not clear if all were intercepted.
“They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up,” Rubio told reporters Friday. The U.S. military posted video of an American fighter jet striking the smokestacks of the two tankers. Earlier in the week, a U.S. jet shot out the rudder of another tanker the military said was attempting to breach the blockade.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. action as “hostile” and said it violated the ceasefire. “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure,” Araghchi posted on X. A news agency affiliated with Iran’s judiciary reported that a U.S. strike overnight killed at least one sailor and injured 10 others aboard a cargo vessel that caught fire; it was not clear whether that ship was one of the two tankers the U.S. acknowledged striking.
Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press showed what appeared to be an oil slick emanating from the western side of Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude export terminal. Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward AI, said the slick covered about 71 square kilometers and estimated the equivalent of roughly 80,000 barrels had spilled since Tuesday. It is unknown whether the spill was caused by a malfunction, an airstrike or another factor. “This is the risk of fighting in an oil-rich area,” Daniel said, adding that it is unlikely any cleanup efforts will be launched in Gulf waters that have become an active war zone. He said the spill appears to be spreading southwest and within the next two weeks could potentially reach the shores of the UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
Nina Noelle, an international crisis operations expert with Greenpeace Germany, said preliminary assessments suggest the spill is beginning to disperse and is unlikely to impact land, though parts of the slick could still affect sensitive marine habitats depending on wind, waves and currents.
Rubio also said Friday that it is “unacceptable” for Iran to have a government agency that vets and taxes ships seeking passage through the strait. Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported Thursday that Iran has created such an agency, known as the Persian Gulf Strait Authority. The effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea. “Is the world going to accept that Iran now controls an international waterway?” Rubio said. “What is the world prepared to do about it?”
Iran has mostly blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for global oil and gas shipments, since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. The closure has caused a global spike in fuel prices and rattled world markets. The U.S. has imposed its own blockade of Iran’s ports.
President Donald Trump has insisted the ceasefire is holding, while reiterating threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran does not accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said 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.
A Chinese-crewed oil tanker was attacked near the strait, China’s Foreign Ministry said, noting the vessel was registered in the Marshall Islands and there were no casualties. China has continued to import oil from Iran despite the effective closure of the waterway. In a reminder of the route’s global importance, an oil tanker that passed through the Strait of Hormuz in mid-April arrived off South Korea’s coast Friday with 1 million barrels of crude. South Korea, which last year imported more than 60% of its crude through the strait, has capped gasoline and other petroleum product prices.