Iran Says It Attacked U.S. Vessel in Strait of Hormuz, but Washington Denies It

Iran said it attacked an unmanned U.S. vessel trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, adding another flashpoint to the renewed fighting between Tehran and Washington. The United States did not confirm the alleged attack.

The claim came a day after the U.S. military said its forces had attacked three Iranian oil tankers in response to a missile strike against Navy warships. The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. Although a ceasefire agreement was announced in June, intermittent clashes continued as both sides sought to impose military and economic costs after negotiations failed.

The fighting resumed last week after a month of relative calm. The Strait of Hormuz and Iranian communities along its shores again came under attack. At least five people were killed earlier in the week during a U.S. bombardment in southern Iran.

The Trump administration appears to be pursuing a dual approach: responding militarily to attacks in the strait while targeting foreign financial institutions that handle Iranian funds. Iran’s new hard-line leaders have signaled that they are prepared to entrench themselves after decades of sanctions. Tehran has also continued using methods to evade sanctions and move oil to buyers, relying in part on a clandestine fleet.

Iran’s nuclear program, one of the issues that contributed to the outbreak of war, was supposed to be addressed in negotiations that collapsed soon after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June. Diplomats say the United States, Britain, France and Germany are seeking to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council over alleged failures to meet nuclear nonproliferation obligations. Tehran, meanwhile, is focusing its leverage on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil and natural gas shipments that was considered an international waterway before the war.