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Tanker Strike, Hormuz Talks
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of targeting an ADNOC-linked tanker with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and the UAE foreign ministry said the attack caused no casualties.
“condemned what it called a "hostile Iranian attack that targeted a tanker belonging to ADNOC with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, without causing casualties"”
The UAE condemned what it called a "hostile Iranian attack that targeted a tanker belonging to ADNOC with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, without causing casualties" as Iran and Oman suggested talks on administering the waterway were progressing.
Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait and wants to charge users for passage, while a June deal allows Tehran to hammer out arrangements for the "future administration" of Hormuz in conjunction with Oman.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Oman were "approaching the final stages" but cautioned that "this is not a sign of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz".
The UAE foreign ministry also condemned what it called a hostile Iranian attack as UKMTO said a ship was hit by a projectile off Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire that was extinguished but no casualties.
Demands and US Position
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr said the Strait of Hormuz would not open until the U.S. corrects its behavior, telling IRNA that "until America corrects its behavior, The Strait of Hormuz will not open."
Zolghadr laid out demands including lifting the naval blockade and sanctions, withdrawing U.S. military forces, paying war reparations, and releasing frozen Iranian assets, while the BBC reported Oman said talks were positive even as Tehran warned any deal would not see an immediate reopening.
Oman’s foreign ministry warned against attacks on shipping that could hamper the discussions, and the BBC said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned reopening remained "subject to other conditions".
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that the U.S. was "in the middle of the game" and said the administration was applying diplomatic, economic, and military tools to ensure the best outcome for the American people.
The BBC added that Vance downplayed reports of Iranian tolls, saying the Iranians told the U.S. they had "no plans to toll the Strait of Hormuz".
Regional Condemnations and Fallout
Gulf and Arab governments condemned the tanker strike, with the UAE describing it as "acts of piracy" and the BBC reporting that Oman urged against actions that might jeopardise progress in the negotiations.
“"dangerous and unacceptable escalation"”
The Al Jazeera report said ADNOC described the incident as unprovoked attacks and stated that 15 of its vessels had been attacked by missiles and drones while transiting the strait since the start of the conflict, including three this week, killing one crew member and injuring 20 others.
Al Jazeera quoted Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed al-Budaiwi condemning the attack as a "dangerous and unacceptable escalation" and calling for international action to protect maritime navigation.
The BBC said the strait had been effectively blockaded since the US and Israel began attacking it in February, and it added that talks in recent days focused on a deal between Iran and Oman on a new route through the strait.
Reuters reported that about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran prior to the conflict, while shipping disruptions since February raised freight rates and created security concerns.
