US Military Fires on Another Vessel Accused of Breaching Iranian Blockade

IRBIL, Iraq — The US military fired on a merchant vessel attempting to breach its blockade of Iranian ports on Friday, the 13th consecutive night of strikes, as both Washington and Tehran showed no signs of backing down.

The Comoros-flagged M/T Lavine was disabled in the Gulf of Oman after ignoring warnings and attempting to run the blockade at least four times, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesman. The military fired into the ship’s engine room. It is the second commercial vessel disabled since the blockade was reimposed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed to have struck a US base in Kuwait and a watchtower for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, while US-led forces in Irbil, Iraq, shot down five explosive-laden drones. Bahrain and Jordan also reported intercepting Iranian attacks on Friday.

In Yemen, Saudi Arabia struck the port city of Hodeida in response to Iranian-backed Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthis had threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping.

President Donald Trump met with top national security aides to review the situation, describing negotiations with Iran as “by far the most serious that we’ve seen,” while adding he is “not in a hurry” to end the war.

At the heart of the conflict is the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for world energy supplies effectively shut down by Iranian attacks. Brent crude oil traded around $96 a barrel, while US gasoline prices averaged $4.11 a gallon.

Oman’s diplomatic delegation was in Tehran to discuss managing shipping traffic, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US must change its position, telling Tasnim that Iran is “neither intimidated by threats nor will we yield to pressure.” The Iranian Health Ministry reported 3,434 people have been killed since the war began.

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