The UAE accused Iran of a “brazen” attack on two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, killing one and injuring eight, as Donald Trump said the US would impose 20% tariffs as part of a new blockade on the waterway.
The US President said he was hitting Iran “very hard” as strikes were launched for the third night in a row amid escalating attacks between the two countries.
Iran’s foreign minister responded to the blockade announcement using Trump’s words, saying that Tehran would remain the “custodian” of the strait.
The dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz threatens to derail his efforts to end the war, but Trump insisted a deal is still possible.
Amid rising tensions in international waterways, the United Arab Emirates on Monday night said Iranian cruise missiles targeted two national tankers, killing an Indian crew member and injuring eight others, four of them seriously.
Six of the injured were Indians, while two were Ukrainians, the UAE Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
“The Ministry of Defense condemns this brazen attack, which is a grave violation and a clear violation of international law, threatening the security and stability of the region,” it said.
The strait remains a major flashpoint between the US and Iran, with the two sides clashing over control of the waterway on Monday after attacks in the area on Sunday night.
In a Truth Social post earlier in the day, Trump said the US was reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports and would impose a 20% tariff on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
He said it would prevent “Iranian ships or customers” from entering or leaving the key oil shipping route, but “there would be fair and open use of the strait for all other countries”. The blockade will take effect at 16:00 Eastern Time (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
He wrote, “From this point forward, the United States will be known as the “Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz,” but as such, and as a matter of fairness, will be reimbursed at a rate of 20% on all cargo shipped for any and all costs necessary to perform the task of providing security to this extremely volatile section of the world.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the US was “killing them very badly”.
“We are eliminating all their offensive capabilities. And we are controlling the strait,” he said.
Asked about peace talks between the two countries, he said, “Yes, I think an agreement is possible, yes, I do.”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were launched at 16:45 Eastern Time (20:45 GMT) on Monday “at the direction of the Commander in Chief”.
Iranian state media reported that Iran’s military said it had targeted US military assets in Kuwait in response.
Trump previously told Fox News that the US would “probably move” to the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that Iran had “broke” the agreement with the US.
“We are occupying the strait,” he said.
CENTCOM said its forces would “again block maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” on 14 July.
“U.S. forces continue to support traffic flow through territorial waters for all vessels not violating the blockade,” a statement from CENTCOM said.
Last Friday, Trump informed Congress in a letter seen by the BBC that the US had resumed military action in Iran on July 7.
Federal law requires congressional approval to continue military action for more than 60 days. The White House can also extend the deadline for another 30 days citing national security.
responding to trump Following the announcement of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on Twitter: “POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides safe passage to commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.”
He added, “Iran has always been and always will be the guardian of the strait.”
“20% is definitely too much. We will be fair,” Araghchi said.
