Hormuz tanker attack
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The UAE condemned a Hormuz tanker attack on two national vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after one crew member was killed and eight others were wounded, as the United States launched fresh strikes on Iranian military targets amid widening Gulf region tensions.
The UAE Ministry of Defense said Iranian cruise missiles targeted the tankers on Monday, calling the attack a “brazen” violation of international law and a threat to regional security. Six of the injured were Indian nationals and two were Ukrainian, with four listed in serious condition.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later confirmed the strikes, saying the vessels had ignored warnings, turned off navigation systems, and tried to move through a mined route. The IRGC said it disabled the tankers and warned that cooperation with what it called the “aggressor enemy” would delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalation came as President Donald Trump said the US was “hitting Iran very hard” and would impose a 20% charge on cargo moving through the waterway under a renewed naval blockade.
Hormuz tanker attack deepens Gulf crisis
The Hormuz tanker attack has intensified an already volatile confrontation between Washington and Tehran over control of one of the world’s most important maritime routes. The The Strait of Hormuz carries a major share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Any disruption in the channel quickly affects maritime shipping security, crude oil market sentiment, and global oil prices. Oil prices edged higher in Asian trading on Tuesday. Brent crude rose 0.7% to $83.87 a barrel, while US-traded oil gained 0.9% to $79.04. Brent had already jumped more than 9% on Monday as military escalation spread through the region.
The UAE condemns Iran’s attack statement, which marked one of the sharpest responses from Abu Dhabi since the latest Middle East conflict entered a new phase. The ministry said the tanker strikes in the Hormuz incident endangered civilian crews and commercial movement through an international waterway. Iran defended the IRGC tanker strike, arguing that ships moving through disputed waters must follow its instructions. Tehran has repeatedly described itself as the guardian of the Hormuz Strait and has rejected US efforts to control the passage.
US strikes on Iran widen the confrontation
US Central Command said it launched strikes on Monday evening at Trump’s direction, targeting military sites across Iran, including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas.
Centcom said the operation was designed to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping. The strikes marked the third consecutive night of US airstrikes Iran has faced during the latest confrontation. Iranian state media said Iran’s army responded by targeting US military assets in Kuwait. The IRGC also said it had attacked sites in Bahrain, including weapons depots, a satellite communications center, and a building housing US forces.
Early Tuesday, the IRGC said it had fired ballistic missiles at an air base in Jordan. Trump told reporters at the White House that the US was knocking out Iran’s offensive capability and controlling the strait. Asked whether negotiations were still possible, he said a deal remained possible despite the intensifying conflict. The president earlier said the US would “probably run” the Strait of Hormuz and accused Iran of breaking a prior arrangement with Washington.
Trump blockade raises legal and market questions
Trump said on Truth Social that the US was reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports and would impose a 20% Hormuz cargo toll on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the move would stop Iranian ships and customers from entering or leaving the key oil route, while allowing other countries “fair and open use” of the strait. He also said the US would be known as the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait.”
Centcom said US forces would resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports from July 14 while continuing to support regional water traffic for vessels not violating the blockade. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying Iran had always been the strait’s guardian and would remain so. He also suggested that whoever provides secure passage through the waterway should be compensated, while calling Trump’s proposed 20% charge too high.
The International Maritime Organization, the UN agency overseeing global shipping, said it opposed fees for passage through straits used for international navigation. A spokesperson said there was no legal basis for imposing mandatory tolls simply to transit such a waterway. Legal questions remain unresolved. UN rules allow countries to control territorial seas up to 12 nautical miles from their coastlines, and at its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes pass within Iranian and Omani territorial waters.
The Hormuz tanker attack also risks complicating domestic politics in the US. Some lawmakers, including Republicans, have questioned the value of renewed military engagement, while rising fuel prices could increase pressure ahead of midterm elections. For now, the conflict has justify shipping firms, oil traders and regional governments watching for the next move. The Hormuz tanker attack, renewed US strikes on Iran, and Donald Trump’s blockade announcement have turned the waterway back into the central flashpoint in the Gulf.
For more information, visit BBC’s comprehensive article