NPR
The U.S. fires on 2 Iranian tankers trying to evade its blockade in Gulf of Oman
+624 words added -657 words removed
− By
The Associated Press
Cargo ships, including bulk carriers and general cargo vessels, sit at anchor offshore as a small motorboat passes in the foreground, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 4.
+ By
The Associated Press
In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Gambia-flagged tanker vessel Bili is pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
− Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP hide caption
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates said it responded to another Iranian missile barrage on Friday, hours after the U.S.
+ Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA via AFP via Getty Images hide caption
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S.
− said it traded fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest blows to a shaky month-old ceasefire.
+ forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers on Friday after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, reported another Iranian missile and drone attack.
− State of the World from NPR A fraying ceasefire in southern Lebanon with villages destroyed The UAE's Defense Ministry said three people were wounded after air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran.
+ State of the World from NPR A fraying ceasefire in southern Lebanon with villages destroyed The attacks cast more doubt on a tenuous month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect.
− It was not clear if all were successfully intercepted.
+ Washington is awaiting an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait and roll back Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
U.S.
− Authorities told people to stay away from any fallen debris.
+ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes to receive "a serious offer" from Iran later Friday.
− The U.S.
+ Middle East conflict Skeletons in their clothing: Recovering bodies from the rubble in Gaza The U.S.
− said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait.
+ military said Friday that its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran's ports.
+ Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait.
+ The U.S. has imposed its own blockade of Iran's ports.
− Middle East conflict Skeletons in their clothing: Recovering bodies from the rubble in Gaza The U.S.
+ The UAE's Defense Ministry meanwhile said three people were wounded after air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran.
− military said Friday that its forces had fired upon and disabled two more Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran's ports.
+ It was not clear if all were successfully intercepted.
− U.S.
+ The U.S.
− President Donald Trump played down the exchange of fire on Thursday, calling the U.S.
+ military posted video of the two Iranian tankers as their smokestacks were struck by an American fighter jet on Friday.
− strikes a "love tap" in a phone call with ABC.
+ Earlier in the week, an American military jet shot out the rudder of a tanker the U.S.
− But he reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn't accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program.
+ military said was attempting to breach its blockade.
− Iran's Foreign Ministry said the U.S.
+ Late Thursday, the U.S.
− strikes were a "clear violation" of the ceasefire.
+ military said it thwarted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iranian military facilities in response. It said no American ships were hit.
− The violence came as Washington awaited a response from Tehran in negotiations to end the war.
+ This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran.
− U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he expects to hear from Iran later Friday.
+ AP hide caption
"They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up," Rubio told reporters Friday.
− "I hope it's a serious offer," Rubio told reporters.
+ Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned what it called "hostile" U.S.
− "I really do."
This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran.
+ military action, saying it violated the ceasefire.
− AP hide caption
The U.S.
+ "Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S.
− military said it had intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz late Thursday and "targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S.
+ opts for a reckless military adventure," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X.
A U.S.
− forces." The U.S.
+ strike overnight killed at least one sailor and injured 10 others aboard a cargo vessel that caught fire, a news agency affiliated with Iran's judiciary reported.
− military said none of its ships were hit.
"They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up," Rubio told reporters Friday.
Iranian state media said the country's forces exchanged fire with "the enemy" on Qeshm Island in the strait.
+ It was not clear if the ship was one of the two tankers the U.S.
− It also reported loud noises and continuous defensive fire in western Tehran late Thursday.
+ acknowledged striking.
− is no longer its leader Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning what it called "hostile" U.S.
+ is no longer its leader U.S.
− military action against two Iranian oil tankers near the Iranian port of Jask and the strait, as well as strikes on nearby coastal areas.
+ President Donald Trump has insisted the ceasefire is holding. He also has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn't accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program.
− Meanwhile, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon were scheduled to resume next week in Washington, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans for the closed-door meetings. The official said talks will be held May 14 and 15.
+ Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show what appears to be an oil slick in the Persian Gulf emanating from the western side of Kharg Island, Iran's main crude export terminal.
− A nominal ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group has also been repeatedly challenged, including by ongoing fighting in southern Lebanon.
Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show what appears to be an oil slick in the Persian Gulf emanating from the western side of Kharg Island, Iran's primary crude export terminal.
− Windward AI, a maritime intelligence firm, said it first detected the spill in satellite images taken Tuesday and the slick was spreading southwest with the wind at a rate of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) an hour.
+ Windward AI, a maritime intelligence firm, said it first detected the spill in satellite images taken Tuesday and the slick was spreading southwest at a rate of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) an hour.
− Lloyd's List Intelligence, a shipping data company, reported Thursday that Iran has created the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an agency that is "positioning itself as the only valid authority to grant permission to ships transiting the strait."
The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea.
+ Lloyd's List Intelligence, a shipping data company, reported Thursday that Iran has created such an agency, known as the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
+ The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea.