US and Iran Exchange Fire for Third Night Amid Iranian Attacks on UAE Oil Tankers

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense reported that two national oil tankers, the Mombasa and Al-Bahia, were attacked by two Iranian cruise missiles in the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters. The attack resulted in the death of one crew member from the Mombasa, an Indian national, and injuries to eight others, including six Indians and two Ukrainians, with four seriously wounded. Both tankers suffered material damage due to fires, which were subsequently extinguished and brought under control. The UAE Ministry of Defense condemned the attack as a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional security and stability, asserting its right to respond and take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and interests.

Simultaneously, the US and Iran engaged in exchanges of fire in the Strait of Hormuz area for the third consecutive night. The US military announced a five-hour operation targeting multiple military sites across Iran, including Bushehr, Chahbahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas, aiming to degrade Iran's capability to attack commercial vessels. The US Central Command stated that precision munitions were used against Iranian coastal defense systems, missile sites, drones, and naval capabilities, with over 50,000 US service members currently deployed across the Middle East.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards accused the US of provoking the incident by attempting to navigate vessels through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz. They claimed that two tankers, misled by the US, disabled their navigation systems and ignored repeated warnings from the Strait's security control center, thereby endangering the shipping lane and passing through a mined area, which led to the tankers being hit and disabled.

US President Donald Trump commented that despite the recent US strikes and renewed blockade of Iranian ports, a deal with Tehran to end the conflict remains possible. He noted that an agreement was reached two days prior but Iran requested to continue negotiations, indicating ongoing diplomatic engagement.