Symbolic imageUS helicopter disables cargo ship as Hormuz stays shut
A US helicopter fired on a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday to enforce Washington's blockade of Iranian ports. Trump claimed full control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Navy MH-60 fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova after its crew ignored repeated warnings, US Central Command said on Tuesday, 11 August. It was the third use of force since Washington reinstated the blockade on 14 July, which has also redirected 55 ships. Trump told reporters the US has "total control" of the strait, while Britain's UKMTO reported continued Revolutionary Guard harassment of shipping.
Tehran's terms for reopening
Iran's six conditions include an end to US threats, the blockade and sanctions, a halt to the fighting in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq, a US withdrawal from the region and reparations. Trump countered on Monday by demanding Iranian compensation for US soldiers killed in Iraq.
Mediators report progress
Pakistan's defence minister, whose country is mediating, told Bloomberg the sides are close to some arrangement, while Qatar backs any formula that spares the strait from political pressure.
New commanders in Tehran
Iran's supreme leader appointed six new commanders on Monday, Breitbart reports, making Revolutionary Guard veteran Mohsen Rezaei secretary of the national security council.
Other opinions
TASS foregrounds mediation, while US conservative outlets lead on blockade enforcement.