Iran has struck a fully-loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai, in what appears to be a direct response to President Trump’s ultimatum about the Strait of Hormuz. The attack, which happened on Monday, damaged the tanker’s hull and started a fire. No casualties were reported among the 24 crew members.
Just hours before the strike, Trump threatened to obliterate Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including oil wells, electric plants, and Kharg Island, if the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t reopened immediately. According to Mediaite, Trump’s full statement on Truth Social read: “The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran.”
He continued, “Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.'”
Iran’s tanker attack fits a clear pattern of retaliation that complicates Trump’s claims of victory
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, which operates the tanker, confirmed that “Emergency response and firefighting teams were immediately mobilized and are currently working to contain and control the situation in close coordination with the relevant authorities.”
Dubai maritime authorities were also working to contain the fire in local waters. This is not the first time Trump has made such threats, he has a history of threatening to obliterate Iran’s civilian infrastructure before quietly walking them back.
The attack on the Kuwaiti tanker is the latest in a series of similar incidents targeting commercial shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. There has been a pattern of missile and drone attacks following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that occurred on February 28.
Before this latest strike, U.S. Gulf State allies had privately urged Trump to continue military operations against Iran. Reports suggest Trump may not be getting the full picture, as his Iran war briefings have raised concerns among his own allies. Officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain reportedly conveyed in private that they want the operation to continue until there are significant changes in Iranian leadership or a major shift in Iranian behavior.
Reuters also reported two unidentified projectiles landing in the water near the Liberian-flagged Express Rome container ship, about 22 nautical miles northeast of Ras Tanura, at 1:52 PM GMT, with all crew members safe. British maritime risk firm Vanguard added that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had previously claimed responsibility for an earlier attack on the Express Rome on March 11.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global shipping lane for oil, and any disruption there carries major international consequences. The threat of an oil spill from a fully loaded crude tanker adds an environmental risk on top of the already serious regional tensions.
Published: Mar 31, 2026 12:00 pm