The vessel, the Al-Salmi, was struck about 31 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, and the attack caused a fire and hull damage, though no crew injuries were reported. The ship’s owner, Kuwait Petroleum Corp, warned of a potential oil spill; the tanker has capacity for roughly 2 million barrels of oil valued at over $200 million.
Iran’s attack marks the latest in a series of drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28. It came as a response to President Trumps latest escalation in rhetoric, which warned that the U.S. would destroy Iran’s power plants, oil infrastructure, and Kharg Island if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened for shipping.
Trump also threatened Iranian desalination facilities. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the strait has been set for April 6, and noted that what Iran says publicly diverges from what it communicates to U.S. officials privately.
Despite the harsh language, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had privately told aides he may be willing to wind down military operations even if the strait stays partially closed, leaving its full reopening as a longer-term objective. That report helped ease oil prices and offered some relief to stock markets.
Meanwhile, thousands of troops from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division have begun deploying to the region, giving Trump the option of a potential ground operation in Iran even as diplomatic talks continue. Iran’s foreign ministry dismissed U.S. proposals as unrealistic, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the strait would be opened one way or another.
