President Donald Trump accused Iran on Thursday of breaching an understanding with the United States regarding the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was “doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!”
The remark followed an earlier social media post in which Trump warned Iran not to impose charges on oil tankers using the strategic waterway: “they better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!”
Speaking to ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jon Karl, Trump said U.S. officials have explored the possibility of cooperating with Iran to collect any such fees, calling it a potential “joint venture” that could help secure shipping and protect vessels “from lots of other people.”
A photograph accompanying reports showed ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz after a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran that included reopening the channel. (Photo: Shady Alassar/Anadolu via Getty Images.)
Separately, Kuwait’s National Guard said one of its facilities suffered a strike by “hostile drones,” which caused “significant material damage” but no casualties. The country’s Defense Ministry spokesman added that drones had targeted “a number of vital facilities.”
In Tehran, Abbas Masjedi, head of Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organization, told the judiciary’s news agency that U.S.-Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,000 Iranians since Feb. 28. Masjedi said roughly 40% of the victims remain “unidentified,” citing the attacks’ nature and the weapons used, and he did not break down how many fatalities were military or civilian.
This is the first consolidated death toll released by an Iranian official since early March. Independent monitoring groups report higher totals: the Human Rights Activists News Agency, which compiles reports through a network inside Iran, put the toll at a minimum of 3,636 deaths since Feb. 28, including at least 1,701 civilians and 254 children.
A photograph from Tehran showed a government supporter in tears during a mourning ceremony marking the 40th day since the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reported killed in the U.S. and Israeli strikes. (Photo: Vahid Salemi/AP.)