US Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted a verification boarding of the tanker M/T Wen Yao on Wednesday as American forces enforced a naval blockade in waters near the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said.
As of July 16, US forces have redirected three commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled one that failed to comply and boarded another to verify full compliance, CentCom reported.
The US has attacked an oil tanker in the Gulf, which it said was heading towards Iran‘s largest oil export terminal, as it reimposed a blockade of Iranian ports.
US Central Command (Centcom) said on Wednesday that Belma „ignored multiple warnings“ as it was heading towards the Kharg Island oil terminal and an aircraft disabled the tanker by „firing Hellfire missiles into the ship‘s smokestack“.
(July 14, 2026)
The ICC was established by a 2002 treaty to investigate and prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity when a member of the treaty is unable or unwilling to prosecute the crimes on its own. The U.S. signed but never ratified the Rome Statute, and the ICC has never opened an investigation into alleged crimes committed on U.S. territory.
The court has, however, taken actions against President Donald Trumpâs ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has also opened investigations into American actions overseas, including alleged war crimes committed by U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Some human rights organizations and legal experts have also argued that U.S. strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific and the U.S. abduction of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro could fall within the ICCâs jurisdiction, as Venezuela is a party to the Rome Statute. The ICC has not opened a formal investigation into the U.S. conduct.
(July 13, 2026)
Actions under consideration include:
– Diplomatic calls from the Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary, ambassadors, and other members of senior leadership to foreign nations highlighting the abuses of the ICC and the risks posed to Americans and other nations urging them to withdraw from the ICC
– Nations that partner with American law enforcement and the U.S. military or that enjoy the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella are called upon to reject the ICCâs purported authority to prosecute American officials and servicemen
– Increased scrutiny of nations that refuse to reject the ICCâs false authority while relying on U.S. assistance
– Diplomatic calls urging other nations that, like America, that are not party to the Rome Statute to leverage their diplomatic networks to take similar actions alongside us
– Visa revocations and travel bans for ICC personnel
– Increased sanctions against the ICC and affiliated organizations
Muscat: The Maritime Security Centre has reported that three oil tankers were targeted in separate attacks off the Omani coast, with one crew member confirmed killed and three others still missing, as authorities continue to monitor the situation and coordinate response efforts.
One Indian crew member was killed, and eight others were wounded in an Iranian missile strike targeting two Emirati oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emiratesâ Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Companyâs (Adnoc) shipping arm confirmed that two of its very large crude carriers were struck and sustained âsignificant damageâ while passing through the strait.
Araghchi agreed that whoever provides safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait should be paid for the service.
Then came the catch.
„Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER,“ he wrote on X.
And as for Trump‘s proposed price?
„20% is of course too much. We will be fair.“
President Donald Trump is âvery seriousâ about his plan to impose a 20% toll on cargo transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, a White House official told Semafor, asserting that itâs a plan heâs wanted to move forward with for months.
The president has long flirted with the idea of charging a toll, wondering back in April âwhy shouldnâtâ his administration do so and threatening to impose fees in June if a deal with Iran was not completed within a 60-day period.
„Whether the going rate is $200 or $20m, there is no legal basis for charging vessels to exercise their right of transit passage through an international strait,“ Lloyd‘s List editor Richard Meade wrote Monday. „Whether such demands originate in Tehran or Washington is largely beside the point. The danger lies in normalising the idea that access to one of the world‘s most important maritime arteries can be subject to politically conditioned payments.“
BIMCO analysis indicates that the levy would prove a substantial burden on the shipping industry. For a Very Large Crude Carrier, or VLCC, the cost is estimated at around $27 million per voyage, based on a calculated fee of 20% of cargo value, using the average Dubai, United Arab Emirates, crude price of $89 per barrel between March and June.
CNBC has contacted the White House for comment on the industry criticism.
Brazilian President Luiz InĂĄcio Lula da Silva on Tuesday criticised US President Donald Trump‘s proposal to impose a 20 per cent charge on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, mocking Washington as a „pirate“ state.
His remarks came after Trump announced that the US would reinstate what he called the „Iranian blockade“ and begin charging vessels for securing one of the world‘s busiest shipping lanes.
The strait was open before the US and Israel joined forces to wage war on Iran, only to have that nation slam it shut. Some vessels got through during the ceasefire, with Iran charging $3 million for a fully loaded supertanker to transit the strait.
Trumpâs threatened toll would jack that cost up to $69 million.
Around one-fifth of global oil supplies and large volumes of liquefied natural gas move through the narrow waterway, making it one of the world‘s most important maritime chokepoints. Any disruption can quickly affect fuel prices, shipping costs and inflation worldwide.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage with global consequences. A proposed U.S. toll would mark a sharp escalation after recent strikes and a fragile interim deal with Iran.
U.S. stocks fell after President Donald Trump announced plans to resume a naval blockade against Iran and impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
On the 13th, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 52,498.64 in New York, down 138.37 points, or 0.26%, from the previous session.
President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. will impose fees in the Strait of Hormuz âat the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped,â after declaring America the âguardianâ of the major oil shipping route.
President Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. is reinstating the naval blockade on Iran and will prevent any ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports. The blockade will go into effect on July 14 at 4pm ET.
Trump also claimed the U.S. would be „reimbursed“ at a rate of 20% for securing safe passage for cargo ships, though the details and seriousness of the initiative were not immediately clear.