DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥� The U.S. launched strikes on Iran early Tuesday morning, hours after President said Washington is 鈥渞einstating鈥� a blockade on Iran in the . Trump separately suggested the United States will charge other ships for safe passage, upending hundreds of years of American policy supporting freedom of navigation across the globe.
Iran responded with attacks targeting Bahrain and two tankers associated with the United Arab Emirates traveling through the strait, killing one mariner and wounding eight others. The Emirates threatened to retaliate against Iran, potentially drawing the nation home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai back into fighting with Tehran.
The attacks come as Iran and the U.S. both vie for control of the strait through which a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas once passed in peacetime. The price of benchmark Brent crude oil , still well below the nearly $120 reached at the height of the war but threatening to make costs everywhere higher.
Trump insists strait will be open
U.S. Central Command announced on social media that the U.S. military had begun another round of strikes against Iran.
鈥淭hese strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,鈥� the U.S. military said.
Moments after the military announced the new strikes, Trump called it 鈥渁nother major attack.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e hitting them very hard. And it鈥檒l continue, and we鈥檒l see what happens,鈥� he told reporters in the Oval Office. 鈥淲e鈥檙e knocking out all of their offensive capability and we鈥檙e controlling the straits. We鈥檙e putting the blockade back.鈥�
Trump also provided new details on his administration doing an about-face and suggesting it will charge tolls for ships going through the strait, after previously suggesting that it wouldn鈥檛.
鈥淲e鈥檙e protecting a very rich portion of the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e spending money. And so, what we鈥檝e done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection.鈥�
It’s a change in U.S. policy that, until now, said the strait should remain open to all without tolls 鈥� as it was before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Any attempt by the U.S. or Iran to charge fees on freedom of navigation and raise tensions, likely causing further far beyond the region.
Attacks resume across the Mideast
The United Arab Emirates鈥� Defense Ministry said early Tuesday that Iran attacked two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one mariner and wounding eight others.
The Emirati Defense Ministry said Iran launched two cruise missiles at the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah.
The attacks set both tankers ablaze, though the fires were extinguished.
Bahrain also came under renewed attack early Tuesday morning as Iran retaliated over the latest round of U.S. airstrikes. Bahrain sounded its missile alert siren, urging the public to seek shelter. There was no word on any damage or casualties from the attack.
The Emirati Defense Ministry said the attack on the tankers killed one Indian national and wounded six Indians and two Ukrainians.
鈥淭he UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, its citizens and residents,鈥� the Defense Ministry added.
The Emirates used similar language before launching attacks against Iran during the war. Fighter jets could be heard overheard Tuesday morning in Dubai.
Trump says Iran failed a test
Earlier Monday, Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that the agreement reached last month was 鈥渂uilt to test鈥� Iran, adding that 鈥渨hen you鈥檙e dealing with sleazebags (agreements) don鈥檛 mean much.鈥�
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 honor the test,鈥� the president said.
Iran asserts it has the right to manage traffic through the strait and potentially charge fees in accordance with the interim peace deal. The U.S. has disputed that.
The American military and the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization have tried to establish a route through the strait along the coast of Oman that would be outside of Iranian control. Iran has attacked ships using that route, saying the U.S. is violating the interim peace deal. The U.S. has attacked Iran in response, drawing Iranian attacks on U.S.-allied Arab states.
Exchanges of fire in recent days had already cast further doubt on the Washington had lifted a blockade it imposed in mid-April as part of that deal, which also called for the strait to be fully reopened.
鈥淲e are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE,鈥� Trump said on social media. 鈥淎ll other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.鈥�
The president said the U.S. would be 鈥渞eimbursed鈥� by 20% of the value of cargo to help cover 鈥渁ny and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security.鈥�
The U.S. military said it will resume its blockade of Iranian ports at midnight local Wednesday in Dubai.
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Boak, Weissert and Toropin reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Mae Anderson in New York, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Stella Martany in Irbil, Iraq, contributed to this report.
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