US President Donald Trump on Friday accused Iran of carrying out a failed drone attack against Indian ships departing the Strait of Hormuz. Referring to the incident, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "their totally rebuffed drone attack last night against Indian ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE."
The US President did not specify which ships he was referring to. Iranian authorities had not responded to the allegation at the time of writing.
This comes as 3 oil tankers carrying dozens of Indian sailors have been caught up in recent US military operations in the region. On June 8, US forces disabled the Palau-flagged tanker Marivex, which had 24 Indian crew members on board. All of them were rescued safely.
Two days later, another Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, came under a US strike. The vessel was carrying 24 Indian sailors, and three of them were killed in the attack. A third tanker, Jalveer, sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag with 20 Indian crew members aboard, was also attacked on Thursday.
In response to escalating threats, India summoned US Charg d'Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time this week after another merchant vessel carrying Indian crew members came under attack off the coast of Oman. The American diplomat was called in by the Additional Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Earlier in the day, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) issued a fresh maritime security advisory for nearly 18,000 Indian seafarers operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and nearby waters, urging ships and crews to maintain heightened vigilance.
Trump's comments also came as hopes grew for a US-Iran peace agreement. In the same social media post, he accused Tehran of leaking inaccurate details about ongoing negotiations and claimed Iran's public statements did not reflect the terms agreed upon by both sides.
"The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing," Trump wrote.
He also criticised Iran's comments regarding a potential agreement, saying they "bear no relation to the truth" and accusing Tehran of failing to negotiate in good faith.
Iranian media had published details of a proposed 14-point peace framework with the US after Trump said a deal could be signed in Europe this weekend. According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, the draft memorandum of understanding outlines steps to end the three-month conflict that has disrupted global trade and energy markets due to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars News Agency, which is linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), reported that no final agreement has been approved, citing an official familiar with the negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The reported proposal includes US sanctions relief and the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets during a 60-day negotiation period following the signing of the memorandum.
According to Mehr, the draft does not include new restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme, an issue that has been central to the conflict since the US and Israel launched military operations on February 28.
While President Donald Trump has said a deal is close, Iranian officials continue to insist that negotiations are ongoing and that no final agreement has yet been reached.
Source: ANI
