The ceasefire exists only in name while both sides continue to strike
U.S. Navy disabled two Iran-flagged tankers attempting to dock at Iranian ports, continuing enforcement of a blockade imposed after failed April peace talks in Islamabad. Iran claims U.S. strikes violate ceasefire; 10 sailors wounded and 5 missing. Secretary Rubio expects Iran's response to peace proposal, while Trump warns of harder retaliation if deal rejected.
- U.S. Navy disabled two Iran-flagged oil tankers (M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda) with precision strikes on their smokestacks Friday
- 2,759 people killed in Lebanon since March 2; 1 million+ displaced; 10 Iranian sailors wounded, 5 missing in latest Strait of Hormuz clash
- Oil spill covering 27 square miles detected at Kharg Island; estimated 80,000 barrels leaked since Tuesday
- U.S. Treasury sanctioned 10 individuals and companies for supporting Iran's drone and missile programs; State Department sanctioned 4 additional entities
- U.S. military has redirected 57 commercial vessels and disabled 4 as part of blockade enforcement since April peace talks failed
U.S. forces fired on Iranian oil tankers enforcing a blockade while Washington awaits Iran's response to a peace proposal. Both sides accuse each other of ceasefire violations amid ongoing military escalation.
On Friday morning, as diplomats in Washington waited for Iran's response to a new peace proposal, American fighter jets were firing on Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet disabled two vessels—the M/T Sea Star III and the M/T Sevda—by striking their smokestacks with precision munitions, preventing them from reaching Iranian ports. Both ships had been operating with their tracking systems turned off for weeks, moving covertly through known smuggling routes. The U.S. military said the tankers were in violation of an American blockade that has been in place since peace talks collapsed in Islamabad in early April.
This latest exchange of fire sits at the center of a contradiction that now defines the conflict. President Trump insists the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remains "in effect," even as both sides trade accusations of violations and military strikes continue almost daily. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Rome, said the administration was expecting Iran's formal response to the peace proposal "at some point" Friday and hoped it would be "a serious offer" that could lead to actual negotiations. Yet at the same moment, American warships were under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian missiles and drones were being intercepted over the United Arab Emirates, and Israeli forces were issuing evacuation orders to seven more villages in southern Lebanon.
The human toll of this grinding conflict is mounting steadily. Lebanon's health ministry reported 2,759 people killed since March 2, with more than a million displaced from their homes. In the latest Strait of Hormuz clash, Iranian officials said ten sailors were wounded and five were missing after American strikes on ports near the waterway. The U.N. Secretary-General called Friday for maximum restraint from all sides, warning that this was a critical moment for de-escalation. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations countered that the consequences of American actions "could be catastrophic" and extend far beyond the Middle East.
The blockade itself has become a tool of economic leverage. The U.S. military said it has redirected 57 commercial vessels and disabled four others to enforce compliance with its ban on Iranian port access. Iran, in turn, has shut down the Strait of Hormuz and begun collecting tolls from ships passing through—a chokepoint that controls roughly a third of the world's seaborne oil trade. An Iranian official compared control of the strait to possessing an "atomic bomb," saying the country would not relinquish the strategic advantage it has gained. Satellite imagery showed an oil slick covering roughly 27 square miles emanating from Kharg Island, Iran's main crude export terminal, with an estimated 80,000 barrels spilled since Tuesday. The cause remains unclear—malfunction, airstrike, or something else—but the spill is spreading and could reach the shores of the UAE, Qatar, or Saudi Arabia within two weeks.
Washington has also moved to tighten financial pressure on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions Friday against ten individuals and companies accused of helping Iran's drone and ballistic missile programs, targeting intermediaries based in China, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Belarus. The State Department sanctioned four additional entities. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration would "continue to act to keep America safe" by targeting foreign entities aiding Iran's military. Secretary Rubio added that the U.S. would hold "China-based entities accountable" for their support to Iran.
Meanwhile, the broader regional picture is fragmenting. Southeast Asian leaders, meeting in the Philippines, adopted a contingency plan Friday to shield their economies from the war's impact, including provisions for emergency fuel sharing and diversifying crude oil sources. Spain has refused to allow its military bases to be used for offensive operations, and other NATO allies have restricted American use of their facilities. Trump has grown frustrated with European allies he views as insufficiently committed to the conflict, and the Pentagon announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany after the German chancellor suggested the U.S. had no coherent strategy on Iran.
On the ground in Lebanon, the ceasefire between the Israeli and Lebanese governments continues to exist only in name. Hezbollah, which was not a party to the original agreement, has accused Israel of violations and launched missiles at Israeli military bases in response. Israel has issued evacuation warnings for seven southern Lebanese towns and struck civilian areas, killing a member of Lebanon's civil defense rescue organization on Friday. The World Health Organization verified 152 attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon since the war began, resulting in 103 deaths and 241 injuries. In Israel, more than 40 people have been killed by Iranian and Hezbollah attacks since the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign began on February 28.
As Friday wore on, the question remained whether Iran's response to the American peace proposal would be a genuine opening toward negotiations or another round of recriminations. Trump warned that if Tehran did not accept a deal quickly, the U.S. would "knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently." The ceasefire, such as it is, hangs in the balance—a nominal arrangement that both sides claim to respect while continuing to strike each other, waiting to see if diplomacy can break through before the next escalation.
Citas Notables
The Strait of Hormuz represents an opportunity as precious as an atomic bomb. Having in one's hands a position that allows you to influence the global economy with a single decision is a major opportunity.— Mohammad Mokhber, adviser to Iran's supreme leader
We're expecting a response from Iran—we'll see what the response entails. We hope it's something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation.— Secretary of State Marco Rubio
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Trump keep saying the ceasefire is still in effect when both sides are clearly fighting?
Because admitting it's over means admitting the peace process has failed. He's trying to hold the diplomatic door open while the military keeps operating. It's a way of saying the shooting doesn't have to mean the talking stops.
But ten Iranian sailors are wounded and five are missing. That's not a ceasefire—that's an active war.
You're right. What they're calling a ceasefire is really just a pause in the larger conflict. It's more like a heavily armed standoff where both sides are testing each other's limits.
The oil spill at Kharg Island—is that from American strikes?
No one's saying for certain. The Pentagon won't comment. But the timing matters less than the fact that it's happening in a war zone where cleanup is impossible. That's the real risk of fighting in an oil-rich region.
Why would Iran seize one of its own shadow fleet tankers?
That's the strange part. The ship had no oil on board, and it was already under U.S. sanctions. The Iranian military didn't explain what it was supposedly disrupting. It looks like either a propaganda move or something more complicated happening inside their own system.
What does Rubio mean by hoping for a "serious offer" from Iran?
He's signaling that the U.S. knows Iran might respond with conditions or counterproposals rather than acceptance. He's saying: we're ready to negotiate, but only if you're genuinely interested, not if you're just buying time.
Is the blockade actually working?
It's working tactically—they've stopped ships from reaching Iranian ports. But strategically, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz in return and is collecting tolls. Both sides are hurting each other's economies, and the world's oil markets are feeling it. That's why Southeast Asian leaders are scrambling to find alternatives.