U.S. strikes two Iranian-flagged vessels as tensions continue amid ceasefire

Source: Washington Post

The Trump administration, sidestepping a widening battle in and around the Strait of Hormuz, said it was anticipating a reply from Tehran on Friday on its latest terms for ending the war.

“I hope it’s a serious offer,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to Italy, even as U.S. warplanes struck and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers that the U.S. Central Command said were attempting to violate its naval blockade by entering an Iranian port along the Gulf of Oman.

Rubio’s Iranian counterpart warned that President Donald Trump was stepping into “another quagmire.” In a social media post, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic?”

The comments came as the United Arab Emirates said that its air defense systems had engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched from Iran. On Thursday, Iran charged that UAE warplanes had participated in a U.S. strike against Qeshm island in the strait and the coastal city of Bandar Abbas.

In the continuing exchange of hostilities, the Iranian military claimed it had struck and damaged three U.S. destroyers Thursday with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones in retaliation for a U.S. attack on an Iranian merchant ship Wednesday, but Trump said the destroyers had exited the strait unscathed.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/05/08/us-iran-ceasefire-hormuz-attacks/