US fires on Iranian tankers as peace talks hang in balance

A US F/A-18 Super Hornet disabled two Iranian tankers with precision munitions Friday to enforce a blockade, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio waited for Tehran’s response to a Pakistani-mediated proposal aimed at extending the Gulf truce.

The strikes followed an overnight Iranian assault using missiles, drones, and small boats against three US warships in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command reported all threats destroyed and retaliatory hits on Iranian land bases; Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya command countered that the clash began when American vessels targeted one of its tankers, striking civilian areas in Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm island.

Rubio, speaking in Rome, insisted Iran must not control the strait and expressed hope for “a serious offer” later that day. President Trump, asked whether the ceasefire held after the exchange, answered bluntly: “Yeah, it is. They trifled with us today. We blew them away.” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the US actions a “blatant violation of international law and a breach of the ceasefire” while claiming Iranian forces had delivered a “major slap” to the enemy.

Saudi Arabia refused to let US forces use its airspace or bases for any operation to reopen the strait, two Saudi sources told AFP, citing fears it would only escalate tensions. The UAE separately reported intercepting two Iranian ballistic missiles and three UAVs, resulting in three moderate injuries. Tehran, meanwhile, established an authority this week to approve transit through the strait and collect tolls, according to Lloyd’s List.

Since the conflict began February 28, Iran has largely closed the strait while the US imposed its own port blockade. Roughly 1,500 ships and 20,000 international crew members remain trapped, per the UN International Maritime Organization. US Central Command said its forces are currently preventing 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

Trump had launched “Project Freedom” on Sunday to reopen the waterway by naval force, only to shelve it Tuesday in favor of negotiations. Markets that had rallied on hopes of a prolonged ceasefire from April 8 sank again Friday as fresh fighting raised doubts the diplomatic track can survive repeated provocations.

The contradiction is now public: both sides claim the ceasefire endures while each accuses the other of violating it first, leaving 20,000 seafarers and global energy markets caught between sporadic clashes and stalled talks.

Original reporting: The Punch.