U.S. Army Bombs Ship Trying to Breach Iran Blockade in Strait of Hormuz

The United States fired upon a ship that tried to breach the blockade imposed on Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal citing an American official, and the reporting also said the U.S. president Donald Trump claimed the United States had fully removed mines from the Strait of Hormuz so the waterway is open to commercial shipping.

In parallel, Iran’s newly appointed Supreme National Security Council secretary general Ali Shamkhani raised the bar of demands in exchange for “opening the Strait of Hormuz,” while the BBC reported that Iran and Oman said negotiations on a new arrangement governing navigation through the strait had been “positive” and reached an advanced stage.

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The BBC also laid out Iran’s six conditions, including that the United States must “correct” its behavior and meet demands such as lifting the naval blockade and withdrawing American forces from the vicinity of Iran, full compensation for damages, lifting “unjust and illegal” sanctions, and the unconditional release of frozen and “stolen” assets.

The BBC further quoted Sebastian Ash saying the conditions reflect a hardening of the Iranian position, while Tarita Parsee told the BBC World Service program Weekend that “What is stated publicly does not necessarily reflect what is happening at the negotiating table.”

As talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz remained constrained, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that it was “an interesting idea” and that he also demanded compensation from Iran for people “they have killed and seriously wounded with their bombs,” while ordering his representatives to include the demand in future negotiations.

The BBC’s account of Iran’s conditions tied compensation to reopening the strait, and it described Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr’s statement warning the United States must “correct” its behavior and meet a set of demands before the waterway opens.

Al-Jazirah Net

In the same dispute, the BBC reported that Tarita Parsee suggested Iran’s public demands could be a negotiating tactic, saying “It's quite possible they are simply trying to prolong the process,” while the CNN Arabic report quoted Hamad bin Jassim arguing that Iranian statements may be “contradictory” and aimed to “confuse the scene” and prolong negotiations.

The BBC also reported that Trump pressed Iran for wide-ranging new demands, and Bloomberg said oil prices rose toward $90 as Hormuz talks grew more complex, with Brent crude near $88 and West Texas Intermediate near $83 amid skepticism after Iranian state TV reported Mohammad Mokhber confirmed the strait would not open until Iran’s conditions are met.

Bloomberg said oil prices rose amid doubts about a looming deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, noting Brent crude for October delivery advanced 1% to trade at $88.80 per barrel and WTI traded near $83, while diesel rose 2.7% to $1,340 per ton.

The BBC reported that Iran and Oman said negotiations were “positive” and in an advanced stage, but it also described how Iran’s conditions included ending war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq permanently, lifting the naval blockade and withdrawing American forces, and lifting sanctions and releasing frozen assets.

In parallel, the Wall Street Journal-cited reporting in سكاي نيوز عربية said U.S. Central Command announced that dozens of merchant ships altered their course and the movement of navigation was tightened, while the الحرة report described Washington and Tehran exchanging messages publicly and said the strait remained closed to navigation without Tehran’s approval.

El País reported that the mutual demand for economic reparations moved the two antagonists further from a potential agreement, and it said Iran’s Foreign Minister Abás Araghchí insisted he would not dialog with Washington until it addresses the “violations” of the ceasefire they sealed in June and that for now they are only “exchanging messages,” which “is not called negotiation.”