A Kuwaiti oil tanker was struck by what Kuwaitis said was an Iranian drone attack, as US President Donald Trump renewed his threat to blow up Iran’s oil facilities if it does not reopen the Hormuz strait.
No oil leakage or injuries were reported following the strike on the tanker full of oil in Dubai waters, city authorities said, reports the CNN.
Trump reiterated his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s electric plants and oil wells if it does not agree to a deal to end the war. When asked about this threat, the White House press secretary said the US military will always follow the law. Attacking civilian infrastructure could be a war crime, experts warn.
The White House press secretary said US talks with Iran were “going well,” and that Iranian officials now at the negotiating table appear more reasonable than the regime’s previous leader. She added that US troops are being sent to the Middle East to give Trump “maximum optionality” while officials pursue a diplomatic solution.
In a stark contrast in tone, an Iranian official earlier lambasted the US’ list of demands as “largely excessive, unrealistic, and unreasonable.”
The White House heralded the movement of some tankers in the strait as a sign of diplomacy, shortly before Iran approved a plan to impose tolls on ships passing through the critical waterway.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, oil prices rose slightly while Asian markets were trading lower. WTI Crude, the US benchmark, settled above $100 per barrel on Monday for the first time since July 2022.