U.S. Forces Disable Iranian Tankers in Hormuz Blockade
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- U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers trying to breach an American blockade in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, after overnight exchanges of fire that also saw the U.S. strike Iranian military facilities and thwart attacks on three Navy ships.
- The UAE's Defense Ministry reported that two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran wounded three people on Friday — a separate attack from the tanker strikes that comes as Iran has mostly blocked the strait since the U.S.-Israel war began Feb. 28.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. strikes as a ceasefire violation, posting on X that "every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure."
- Satellite images reviewed by AP show an oil slick of roughly 71 square kilometers (27 square miles) emanating from Iran's Kharg Island terminal, with Windward AI estimating about 80,000 barrels have leaked since the slick was first detected Tuesday.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it "unacceptable" for Iran to control an international waterway via a new "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" that vets and taxes passing ships, and warned that Iranian tankers threatening Americans "are going to be blown up."
- A Chinese-crewed oil tanker registered in the Marshall Islands was attacked near the strait, prompting concern from China's Foreign Ministry; China has continued importing Iranian oil despite the waterway's effective closure.
- President Donald Trump has insisted the month-old ceasefire is holding while reiterating threats to resume full-scale bombing unless Iran reopens the strait and rolls back its nuclear program, with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif mediating contacts between Washington and Tehran "day and night."
Why it matters: The U.S. disabling Iranian tankers while Iran strikes the UAE and formalizes a tax-and-vet agency over the strait shows the month-old ceasefire fraying on all fronts simultaneously — and with an estimated 80,000 barrels already spilled from Kharg Island, an environmental disaster threatens UAE, Qatari, or Saudi coastlines within two weeks if fighting continues.
