U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday held Iran responsible for an strike on a vessel near Oman, characterizing the incident as a direct breach of their newly established ceasefire. The accusation followed assertions from Tehran that it maintains jurisdictional control over the Strait of Hormuz, alongside warnings to neighboring Gulf states against aligning with Washington.
The attack on Thursday underscored the immense fragility of the preliminary accord designed to halt the U.S.-Iran conflict. According to U.S. officials, the Singapore-flagged vessel Ever Lovely, operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine, was struck on its upper deck by an Iranian drone while traveling along a route recommended by the British maritime agency UKMTO. Though the ship suffered structural damage, it sustained no casualties and was able to continue its transit. On Truth Social, President Trump condemned the incident as a “foolish violation” of the truce and noted that American forces had successfully intercepted three additional drones.
The military flare-up coincided with escalating diplomatic friction over maritime transit rights. Iran expressed sharp disapproval of a joint statement from the U.S. and six Gulf nations that rejected Tehran’s attempts to levy tolls on commercial vessels navigating the strait. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated on X that safe passage could not be guaranteed unless Iran’s status as a coastal state was integrated into regional decision-making. Simultaneously, reports emerged that Oman had informed allies that transit fees might become necessary, while Iranian state television claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had turned back three foreign tankers attempting “unauthorized passage.” In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a joint demand for unrestricted, toll-free navigation, prompting Iran’s foreign ministry to counter that the U.S. military presence remains the root cause of regional instability.
Despite the renewed friction over the waterway—which handles a fifth of global petroleum and liquefied natural gas supplies—crude oil prices tumbled roughly 3% on Friday, on track for steep weekly losses. The price decline occurred as shipping activity showed signs of resilience; Saudi Aramco restarted crude loadings at its massive Ras Tanura terminal following a four-month disruption, and fertilizer shipments picked up pace, easing global food inflation concerns. However, the operational environment remains fluid, prompting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to announce that the country’s remaining commercial vessels would exit the strait over the weekend.
The maritime dispute highlights broader, unresolved complexities within the 60-day framework agreement, which aims to address long-term issues surrounding financial incentives, nuclear inspections, and parallel regional conflicts. While senior Israeli officials indicated that Israel and Lebanon were expected to sign a framework agreement in Washington, friction on the ground persists. Israel dropped evacuation leaflets over southern Lebanon on Friday to enforce a self-declared “buffer zone,” a move that challenges Iran’s stance that a total Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon is a non-negotiable component of its own interim deal with the United States.
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