Iranian state television has leveled an accusation against the United States, alleging that American forces carried out an attack on an Iranian oil tanker situated near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. According to the report, four U.S. missiles struck the vessel approximately six miles, or 10 kilometers, from the island, which serves as the primary terminal for the majority of Iran’s oil exports. The Iranian report stated that there were no casualties resulting from the incident, though it provided no evidence to support the claim, and no comments were provided by Iranian officials. U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the accusation, and there have been no observed signs of retaliation following the alleged strike, which occurred after a month of relative calm in the region.
In a separate development, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has again issued strong criticism regarding Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. During a visit to the village of Turmus Ayya on Saturday, where he met with Palestinian American residents, Huckabee explicitly referred to the settlers as “terrorists.” The ambassador stated, “If there are squatters that come in and put up their own flags and take possession of something that does not belong to them, if they burn a car, if they torch a mosque, if they go into someone’s home and vandalize it, paint graffiti on the walls, that’s a criminal act. But it extends beyond a criminal act. It’s an act of terror.” This follows previous unrest in the town of Qusra and comes as the current Israeli government continues to oversee a surge in settlement construction.
Regional conflicts also intensified elsewhere. In Yemen, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels reported that government forces killed at least three people during attacks in the Hodeida and Taiz provinces on Friday. The Houthi authorities stated that a father and daughter were killed in the southern Jarahi district, while shelling in Taiz resulted in one man being killed and another wounded. Simultaneously, Yemen’s military claimed to have launched more than 15 airstrikes against Houthi positions. Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, the Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli strikes killed three people and wounded nearly two dozen. The Israeli military stated these strikes targeted Hezbollah positions in response to a drone launched toward Israeli forces, which was successfully intercepted.
Diplomatic efforts to address these tensions are ongoing, as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for the United States and Iran to engage in negotiations. During phone conversations with the foreign ministers of Bahrain and Oman, Abdelatty emphasized the necessity of prioritizing de-escalation and ensuring the safety of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping remains at reduced levels.
