On Wednesday, U.S. forces struck an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz allegedly violating the U.S. naval blockade, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. CENTCOM said that the tanker, identified as the M/T Hasna, was transiting international waters to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman and failed to comply with “multiple warnings” that the vessel was in violation of the blockade. U.S. forces fired several rounds from the cannon gun of a U.S. Navy vessel, disabling the Iranian tanker, according to CENTCOM.
China, a longtime friend of Iran, also called for the reopening of the Strait in a Wednesday meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Trump is set to visit Beijing to meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping next week.
Nuclear program at center of negotiations
Iran’s nuclear program, which the U.S. and Israel cited as justification for launching the war, has long been a sticking point in negotiations. The U.S. and Iran were in the middle of restarted nuclear negotiations when the U.S. and Israel launched their Feb. 28 attacks, accusing Iranian negotiators of obstinacy. Iran has previously said that U.S. attacks eroded any trust that might lead to a nuclear agreement.