UN Confirms Three Seafarers Dead in U.S. Strike in Strait of Hormuz

The United Nations confirmed earlier today that three seafarers died in strikes inside the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest strike, which the United States said had been carried out as part of its blockade enforcement operations, involved the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello near the coast of Oman.

Tit-for-tat strikes by the U.S. and Iran following the apparent suspension of negotiations to end the war threaten to accelerate, with President Trump on social media promising to hit Iran “very hard” and “assume total control of their oil and gas markets.”

The UN Secretary-General is “deeply concerned” by the continuing escalation, his spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

UN chief António Guterres urged all parties to return to the full implementation of the ceasefire and warned that any further deterioration could trigger “a full resumption of the conflict, with unpredictable consequences for the region and the world, especially the most vulnerable countries.”

The UN went on to say that the strikes were “unacceptable” and called for a diplomatic end to the fighting between the United States and Iran, saying that the fighting endangered energy and food security around the globe.