By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-11 17:54:43 | Updated at 2026-08-11 18:07:34
1 hour ago
Donald Trump's blockade of Iran is becoming increasingly hostile for civilians after US forces fired on a ship attempting to circumvent the American squeeze on the regime's ports.
A US military helicopter fired a missile at the rudder of a Panama-flagged vessel just before dawn on Tuesday after its crew ignored warnings from American personnel enforcing the blockade, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The strike forced the crew to abandon the ship and flee to a nearby civilian vessel, although there were no immediate reports of deaths.
A maritime security firm confirmed that the missile strike sparked a fire aboard the ship, which was later extinguished before all 17 crew members were forced to evacuate.
The incident comes as oil prices surged to $89 a barrel Tuesday morning, while gasoline prices hover around $4 a gallon, adding to economic pressure on Americans as the November midterm elections approach.
Control of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supplies pass, has become a critical sticking point as peace negotiations between the US and Iran have stalled.
The regime is demanding joint control of the strait alongside countries including Oman, as well as the ability to impose taxes on vessels as a form of retribution against Trump.
The White House, however, wants the immediate restoration of free passage for vessels before the blockade of Tehran can be lifted.
Donald Trump's blockade of Iran is becoming increasingly hostile for civilians after US forces fired on a ship attempting to circumvent the American squeeze on the regime's ports
A US military helicopter fired a missile at the rudder of a Panama-flagged vessel just before dawn on Tuesday after its crew ignored warnings from American personnel enforcing the blockade
A maritime security firm confirmed that the missile strike sparked a fire aboard the ship, which was later extinguished before all 17 crew members were forced to evacuate
In June, US forces reportedly killed three Indian sailors while attempting to enforce the blockade on Iran.
The conflict has pushed US gasoline prices to its highest points in years, while adding inflationary pressure on American households.
The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz resulting in higher oil prices has skyrocketed the cost of producing and transporting goods has also increased.
On Monday, Tehran said the US military must vacate the Middle East and pay compensation to the regime in order to reopen the strait – terms Washington has consistently ruled out.
Trump responded by demanding Iran pay compensation for decades of regime-backed attacks, citing deaths from roadside bombs and conflicts.
'Additionally, compensation should be paid to the families of the hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters that Iran has killed over the last 50 years, not to mention the 52,000 that have been killed in the last five months,' he wrote on Truth Social.
'I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations.'
Since the start of the Iran blockade, US Central Command has reported it has turned away 53 commercial vessels, while shipping data shows no tankers have loaded at Kharg Island.
That pressure has yet to translate into concessions, even as Iranian inflation hit an annual 88.6 percent in late June and the government asks citizens to ration electricity.
