US forces struck an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, even as Washington and Tehran appeared to move closer to a tentative agreement to end their two-month war, with US President Donald Trump warning that renewed bombing could begin if Iran rejects the proposed deal.
A US fighter jet disabled the tanker by targeting its rudder as the vessel attempted to breach an American naval blockade of Iranian ports, US Central Command said in a social media post.
The strike highlighted the fragility of a ceasefire that has largely held since April 8, as both sides combined military pressure with diplomatic efforts to reopen critical energy shipping routes through the Gulf.
Trump said Iranian officials were eager to reach an agreement with Washington.
“We’re dealing with people that want to make a deal very much, and we’ll see whether or not they can make a deal that’s satisfactory to us,” he told reporters at the White House. “We’ve had very good talks in the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible we’ll make a deal.”
But the president also threatened a sharp escalation if talks collapse.
