Oil tanker blown up in Persian Gulf hours after Trump told vessels to ‘show some guts’
Iran blew up an oil tanker near the Persian Gulf early Thursday morning, hours after President Donald Trump told vessels to “show some guts” and pass through the region under the risk of being attacked.
Following the president’s remarks, Tehran officials reportedly waited for vessels to cross into the Persian Gulf before attacking and ultimately exploding the tanker, which resulted in one death.
Reports indicate 38 other crew members were rescued, according to CNN. Trump’s advice went against that of his military advisors, who suggested the Strait would not be passable until an agreement with Iran was reached. It comes after the 4 safest US states to live in during nuclear war were revealed in a map.
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However, the White House justified its stance by describing the extent of destruction the Islamic state has endured in just 13 days of war.
“They are pretty much at the end of the line. It doesn’t mean we’re going to end it immediately, but they’ve got no navy. They’ve got no air force… They have no systems of control,” he told reporters Wednesday night.
President Trump’s claims starkly contradict those of the Iranian military, which vowed not to let “one liter of oil” leave the region as long as U.S. and Israeli missiles continue to wreak havoc on Tehran and its allies.
In turn, Washington said it would hit Iran “twice as hard” until it offered an “unconditional surrender.” This apparent impasse has led analysts to believe the war will be prolonged.
This comes after three cargo ships were reportedly struck by “unknown projectiles” in the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for about one-fifth of the global oil supply, according to maritime authorities.
Around the same time, an unidentified projectile hit a container ship 35 nautical miles off the coast of Jebel AL in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported.
All crews were safe and “No environmental impact has been reported at this time,” the agency said.
A Thai-flagged vessel was among the cargo ships that were attacked. A fire engulfed the ship, and the Royal Thai Navy said 23 individuals were rescued.
Iran confirmed it was responsible, claiming all three ships ignored warnings.
A second container ship flew the Japanese flag and was hit 25 nautical miles of the coast of the UAE. It sustained minor damage. A third was hit about 50 nautical miles north-west of Dubai.
