Ship Hit in Hormuz as Trump Threatens "Decapitation"
A cargo ship was struck by an unknown projectile near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz overnight, maritime authorities said, as President Trump sharply escalated his threats against Iran. Mr Trump said he wanted to give Tehran “every last chance before decapitation”, insisting a planned strike remained ready, and warned that nothing would pass through the strait “unless a deal, or total surrender, is accomplished”. American forces have turned back dozens of commercial vessels enforcing a blockade.
The reported strike on the ship, off the coast of Oman, could not be independently attributed, but underlined how dangerous the world’s most important oil chokepoint has become. Mr Trump’s language hardened after Iran denied his weekend claim of an imminent deal, and oil prices, which had tumbled on hopes of de-escalation, climbed back above $85 a barrel as the threat premium returned. Iran, which insists the strait will not reopen as before, warned of “risks and casualties” if the blockade continued. With warships massed and rhetoric soaring, the risk of a wider war is climbing again. Watch whether Mr Trump orders the strike he keeps holding in reserve.