U.S. Fires on Iranian-Flagged Tankers in Strait of Hormuz After Exchanging Fire

The U.S. fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after exchanging fire with Iranian forces overnight, as Washington awaited an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait, and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

“Central Command releases video of new US strikes on Iranian tankers Video shows the U”

ABC News

ABC News said Central Command released video of new U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers, showing the U.S. firing on two more Iranian-flagged oil tankers trying to break through the Strait of Hormuz.

ABC News

Stars and Stripes reported that U.S. Central Command said the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda were transiting the Gulf of Oman when a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush disabled both tankers by firing precision munitions into their smokestacks.

NBC News said President Donald Trump wrote that “There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers. They were completely destroyed along with numerous small boats,” as the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome that the U.S. expected a response from Iran, saying, "We'll see what the response entails," and NBC News reported Trump also said in a phone interview that “No” when asked if the conflict with Iran was over.

CBS News said President Trump warned that the U.S. would “knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently,” if Tehran does not accept a peace deal, while also saying the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is “still in effect.”

Al Jazeera

CBS News reported the U.S. Treasury announced a new round of sanctions against 10 individuals and companies accused of supporting Iran’s drone and ballistic missile programs, targeting those “that are enabling efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons.”

Stars and Stripes said the U.S. military responded to “unprovoked Iranian attacks” with self-defense strikes as Navy guided-missile destroyers transitioned the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, and it said the exchange came after reports from Iranian state media that the U.S. attacked an Iranian oil tanker.

The Associated Press reported 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, with images taken Friday showing the slick covering about 71 square kilometers (27 square miles).

“US fires on Iranian oil tanker as Trump pressures Tehran for deal to end war Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing on Wednesday morning”

AP News

NPR said Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward AI, estimated that the equivalent of roughly 80,000 oil barrels has spilled from Kharg Island since the slick was first detected by satellite images Tuesday, and it said it was unknown whether the spill was caused by a malfunction, an airstrike or something else.

NPR also quoted Daniel saying, "This is the risk of fighting in an oil-rich area," and it reported that 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.

In a separate thread of escalation risk, The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on X to a U.S. intelligence analysis, asserting, “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure.”