Iran claims strike on U.S. vessel in Strait of Hormuz, but Washington calls it a lie

Iran said Sunday that it had struck an unmanned U.S. vessel trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military dismissed the claim as a “total lie”, adding another disputed incident to a conflict that has again drawn attention to the strategic waterway.

The purported attack came a day after the U.S. military said its forces had struck three Iranian oil tankers. Washington said the operation followed attacks on Navy warships with ballistic missiles. Experts described the latest developments as a dangerous escalation, particularly because earlier Iranian attacks at sea had targeted commercial shipping.

The war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. A fragile ceasefire announced in June failed to end the violence, and both sides resumed attacks last week after about a month of relative calm. At least five people were killed earlier in the week during a U.S. bombardment, including in an area where a school had been hit at the start of the war.

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total lie

The Trump administration appears to be pursuing two tracks: responding militarily to attacks around the strait while targeting foreign financial institutions that handle Iranian money. Tehran’s new senior leaders have signaled that they will continue resisting pressure. Iran has used a shadow fleet and other methods to circumvent sanctions, a strategy that has helped it keep selling oil despite a U.S. blockade of its ports.

The Strait of Hormuz carries major oil and natural gas shipments and was considered international water before the war. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said about 9 million barrels of oil a day were passing through the strait, a figure that appeared higher than average flows over the previous 28 days. He said oil moving through regional pipelines meant flows were probably “two-thirds or more of pre-conflict flows”. Those shipments depend on U.S. Navy escorts and protection against possible Iranian attacks, while negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program have stalled.

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two-thirds or more of pre-conflict flows