The United States tightened its naval blockade of Iran on Friday, as the U.S. military struck a fifth vessel attempting to breach the cordon and Oman reported a suspected Iranian mine in Strait of Hormuz waters, further escalating tensions as nuclear negotiations entered a critical phase.
U.S. Central Command said a Hellfire missile struck the engine room of the M/V Lian Star, a Gambia-flagged vessel, in international waters after its crew failed to comply with 20 warning shots and continued toward the blockade line.
Separately, Oman’s Defense Ministry issued an alert after a suspicious naval mine surfaced in its territorial waters near the Strait of Hormuz. The device is believed to be of Iranian manufacture, a Mahan-3 type weighing approximately 300 kilograms, according to officials.
The incidents unfolded as Iran’s parliament prepared to vote on legislation governing management of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint that Iran has threatened to close.
On the diplomatic front, signs of a possible U.S.-Iran deal remained, but President Donald Trump was weighing last-minute changes to the draft agreement, according to Axios. The New York Times reported that the proposed revisions would tighten terms, primarily concerning Iran’s nuclear program. Trump was said to want to strengthen several provisions before any agreement was signed.
