Trump chides Iran for ship attack after Tehran insists on control of Hormuz strait

DUBAI/LONDON - US President Donald Trump blamed Iran on June 26 for an attack on a ship near Oman which he said had violated their ceasefire, after Tehran insisted it would control the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states not to side with Washington.

The attack on June 25 highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end the Iran war. Two US officials had told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Iran had fired on the ship.

Trump said an Iranian drone had hit the upper deck.

“Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement.”

Iran had earlier expressed anger at what it said was an “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative” statement by the United States and six Gulf states that rejected its assertion that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait.

“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran’s role as a coastal state into account,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X.

Bloomberg News said Oman, which lies on the opposite side of the strait from Iran, had told allies ships going through Hormuz may have to pay.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.

The foreign minister of fellow Gulf state the United Arab Emirates held his first announced phone call with his Iranian counterpart since the start of the conflict, UAE state news agency WAM said, underlining efforts to overcome tensions.

It said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed emphasised the need to ensure freedom of navigation through the strait, where shipping had picked up pace before a new slowdown after the ship attack.

Iranian state TV said three foreign tankers attempting what it called an “unauthorised passage” of the strait were turned back after a warning from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It gave no further details.

Asked about the matter, a US official said: “We are aware of these reports and looking into them. President Trump has been clear that Iran cannot subvert the free flow of traffic in the strait.”

Oil prices dropped by about 3 per cent on June 26, on course for steep weekly losses despite the conflicting interpretations of last week’s interim deal between Iran and the US and renewed questions over the strait, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically passes.

Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings on June 26 at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf, the world’s biggest oil port, after a nearly four-month halt, shipping data showed.

Fertiliser shipments through the strait have also picked up, helping to assuage concerns about a spike in global food prices.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – wrapping up a tour of the Gulf to reassure regional allies about the interim pact – issued a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council calling for “free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation” in the strait without tolls or “attempts to assert control”.

Iran’s foreign ministry responded on June 26 by saying the US military presence in the Gulf was the source of regional insecurity and division, and that the strait should be governed by Iran and Oman in line with the terms of the interim deal.

“We warn against the continuation of hostile and interventionist policies in the region,” it said.

Tehran took effective control of the waterway after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb 28. Iranian forces also fired at Israel and Gulf states that host US bases, and Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants fired on Israel from Lebanon, reigniting conflict there.

Ali Akbar Velayati, top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned Washington’s Gulf allies their survival depended on Tehran’s tolerance.

Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine said earlier on June 26 its Singapore-flagged ship Ever Lovely had been hit close to Oman on June 25 by an “unknown object” while on a route recommended by the British navy agency UKMTO.

Nobody was hurt and the ship resumed its journey out of the strait.

Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine said its Singapore-flagged ship Ever Lovely had been hit close to Oman on June 25 by an “unknown object”. PHOTO: VESSELFINDER.COM

The UN Maritime Organisation said it was working to resume the evacuation of ships stranded in the strait after the attack halted the process.

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority – established by Tehran to manage requests for ships to travel through the strait – said passage through unauthorised routes would be “the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander”.

Trump warned this month that if Iran did not honour the interim deal, including reopening the strait, the US would probably go back to bombing the country.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said three South Korean ships would leave the strait over the weekend after the Oceans Ministry reported eight more South Korean vessels had exited.

Disagreements persist over other elements of the framework ceasefire deal, including over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections and Israel’s parallel war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The deal set up 60 days of talks to tackle thornier issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.

Rubio announced a separate framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon after talks in Washington on June 26, saying there was a lot of work ahead. Israel said it was a trilateral deal with the United States that would be performance-based but no immediate details were available.

Israel has said it will keep troops in what it calls a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon aimed at thwarting Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. Iran wants Israel to fully withdraw and says the Lebanon ceasefire is an integral part of its interim agreement with the US that halted hostilities. REUTERS