By Our Correspondent

National News – Iran has accused the United States of pursuing a “reckless military adventure” despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the escalating Gulf conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would never surrender to pressure after fresh clashes erupted in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.

The renewed tension followed reports that US forces targeted Iranian-linked vessels near the Gulf of Oman on Friday.

According to US Central Command, American troops used precision strikes to stop two Iranian-flagged oil tankers from entering Iranian ports in violation of a naval blockade imposed on Tehran.

The US also claimed it had prevented more than 70 tankers from moving in or out of Iranian ports.

Iran, however, accused Washington of attacking civilian and commercial vessels while carrying out aerial operations near coastal areas.

Officials in Iran’s Hormozgan province confirmed that one cargo vessel caught fire near Minab, leaving at least 10 sailors injured while rescue teams searched for missing crew members.

US President Donald Trump insisted that a fragile ceasefire agreement remained active despite the latest military exchanges.

The ceasefire is expected to create room for negotiations aimed at ending the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran-backed groups across the Middle East.

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the crisis because nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the waterway.

Continued hostilities have pushed global energy prices higher and raised fears of wider instability in the Gulf region.

Meanwhile, the US announced plans for another round of talks involving Israel and Lebanon next week as part of efforts to reduce cross-border violence linked to Hezbollah fighters.

Security analysts warn that the worsening Iran-US confrontation could further disrupt global oil supply, threaten maritime trade and deepen tensions across the Middle East if diplomacy fails.