WASHINGTON — Iran attacked a US-contracted vessel carrying Americans this week, according to a report, adding to already heightened tensions across the Middle East. President Trump has predicted that the conflict will continue beyond the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Fox News reported that the assault occurred near the Strait of Hormuz and involved four Iranian drones and at least one missile. The incident resulted in minor injuries, according to the report.
The report did not clarify whether the Americans aboard the ship were government employees or private-sector personnel. It also did not identify the vessel or disclose what cargo it was carrying.
The US military has helped commercial vessels navigate the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping chokepoint that Iran has sought to control. The standoff contributed to the collapse of a tentative peace agreement in July.
The latest attack came just days after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement seized strategically important islands near the entrance to the Red Sea. Oil prices climbed as markets reacted to concerns that the shipping route could also be drawn into the US-Iran conflict.
The Pentagon directed questions about the incident to US Central Command. CENTCOM had not immediately responded, and the White House also declined to comment.
