Iran-US war latest: Tanker seized off Yemen in ‘pirate hijacking’ days after Tehran’s threat to key trade route

Abu Musa, along with Greater and Lesser Tunb, were seized by Iran in 1971 from what would later become the United Arab Emirates. These rocky outposts now serve as a critical Iranian garrison, enabling Tehran to exert considerable influence over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas transits during peacetime.

Recent US strikes targeting two of these islands have reignited debate and speculation surrounding their future and their long-disputed ownership.

A Liverpool man has been charged on suspicion of spying for Iran after an investigation by counter-terror police.

Vahid Aberi, 39, was arrested on Wednesday in the Birmingham area on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service.

“The country to which the investigation relates is Iran,” Counter Terrorism Policing London said in a statement.

Aberi was taken to a West Midlands police station and officers searched addresses in Birmingham and Liverpool.

A vessel was boarded by unauthorised personnel while transiting east in the Gulf of Aden, 65 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Al Mukalla port, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Friday.

Separately, a tanker was involved in an incident with military forces about 100 nautical miles east of Oman’s Duqm on Thursday, UKMTO said. The tanker was subject to interactions as part of military activity in the region, it added.

US vice president JD Vance told podcast host Joe Rogan yesterday that some in the Israeli government attempted to persuade Washington away from a deal to end the war with Iran.

“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who ​are trying to, like, actually shift us away from that policy because they want to continue the military campaign,” Vance said.

The vice president said that while he has “good relationships” with some in the Israeli government, “there are some people within their system that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”.

He alleged that some countries try ​to influence American policy, adding: “It doesn’t bother me that Israel tries to do this; it frankly doesn’t even bother me that Russia ​or some of these other countries do it”.

“What does bother me is when ‌those operations, ⁠those influence campaigns, actually affect American political judgment,” the vice president said.

One of Kuwait’s power generation and water desalination stations was hit in an Iranian attack, causing damage to facilities, a fire and the disruption of a large number of electricity generation units, Kuwaiti authorities said on Friday.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control, while technical teams began assessing the damage, securing the station and working to restore the affected electricity generation units to service as soon as possible, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said.

Iran said it launched fresh strikes on US facilities in the Middle East on Friday, including the first direct attack in Syria, after a sixth straight night ​of US attacks on Iranian military facilities.

Early on Friday, Iran’s military said it had attacked US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

China and Pakistan have called for an immediate ceasefire and a resumption of talks between the US and Iran, China’s foreign ministry said today.

The Chinese foreign minister called on all parties to fulfil their obligations and abide by the ceasefire MoU.

China’s statement comes as the US launched a sixth night of strikes on Iran.

Meanwhile, Tehran has reportedly alerted Yemen’s Houthis to be ready to disrupt the Red Sea shipping route as well if Iranian power infrastructure is targeted.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened a “more crushing” retaliation against the US and countries hosting its bases on Friday.

It admitted it had targeted the Al Udeid US base in Qatar, according to state media

Armed assailants have boarded a chemical tanker off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of ⁠Aden ​on Friday ⁠and are in control ⁠of the vessel.

Maritime security ​sources told Reuters that the Asana, a small tanker, was seized in the Gulf of Aden on its way to the Somali ‌port of Bosaso.

The ship, which had no confirmed flag, was boarded by unauthorised personnel while transiting 65 nautical miles ​south of Yemen’s ‌Al Mukalla ⁠port, the UKMTO said.

A South Korean warship had been ⁠despatched to the area, an official with Greek maritime security company Diaplous said.