US and Iranian forces exchanged missile and drone fire overnight in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran describing the incident as a “violation of the ceasefire” by the US and accusing Washington of targeting Iranian oil tankers, while the US said it was acting in self-defense and “eliminated inbound threats,” News.Az reports, citing The New Region.
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Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency said a US attack on a cargo ship with 15 personnel onboard injured 10 sailors while search is underway for the remaining five who are missing.
“There were 15 sailors on this cargo barge, 10 of whom were injured and taken to the hospital, and public and search groups are trying to find out the status of the other sailors,” Mehr reported.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it disabled two Iranian oil tankers trying to enter an Iranian port in violation of the naval blockade on Iranian ports on Friday.
On Wednesday, CENTCOM said it “disabled” an Iranian-flagged oil tanker sailing light toward an Iranian port via cannon fire from a fighter jet.
On April 13, the US military announced that it would begin blocking sea traffic to Iranian ports after a tenuous round of peace talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement.
Meanwhile, Tehran and Washington continue trading blame for the overnight clash.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called the attack “a blatant violation of international law” and the ceasefire.
On the other hand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “We didn’t fire, they fired on us…Of course we fired back at them, they were shooting at us, that’s what I would expect to do. Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when they’re shot at and we’re not a stupid country.”
“The red line is clear: if they threaten Americans, they’re gonna get blown up, I mean how much clearer can you be than that?” he asserted.
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled since the shaky ceasefire began, as both sides continue sending proposals back and forth with no clear timeline for when face-to-face talks might resume.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump warned Iran would be hit “a lot harder, and a lot more violently” if it does not “get their Deal signed, FAST,” adding, the destroyers will rejoin the US naval blockade, which he described as a Wall of Steel.”
