The US military said on Friday it had fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers, while Iran's foreign minister accused Washington of "reckless" attacks that he said were undermining diplomatic efforts.
On Friday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X that two vessels had attempted to enter an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. It was stated that a US fighter jet had fired on the ships, which were not carrying cargo, to prevent them from breaching the US naval blockade.
CENTCOM also released a video purportedly showing the two attacked ships. It shows smoke rising from them.
The US military also pointed out that it had already disabled another unloaded oil tanker flying the Iranian flag on Wednesday.
"All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran," it said.
"U.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran," said Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
So far, the US military has forced 57 merchant ships to change course and rendered four ships unable to manoeuvre, the regional command stated in a further post.
It was also stated that US forces are currently preventing more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports. These merchant ships are said to have the capacity to transport Iranian oil worth an estimated more than $13 billion.
Iran says US military action is undermining negotiations
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had accused the United States of undermining efforts to reach a negotiated solution following mutual attacks between the US and Iran during Thursday night.
Military tensions flared up between the warring parties when the US struck targets on the Iranian mainland and Iran attacked US military vessels with missiles and speedboats.
Both sides disagree on the sequence of the respective attacks.
"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic?" Araghchi wrote on X on Friday.
A ceasefire has been in place in the Iran conflict for just over a month. However, military tensions remain high.
US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that an agreement could soon be reached with the leadership in Tehran to end the war.
Iranian media report fresh explosions on Gulf coast
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported exchanges of fire in coastal regions not far from the Strait of Hormuz.
"Hostile targets" had been fired upon, reported the Tasnim news agency, which has close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
The Mehr news agency and other outlets said on Friday that blasts were heard near the town of Sirik in the Hormozgan Province, which lies along the Strait of Hormuz. The cause was not immediately clear, according to the reports.
