Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire Tuesday and warned it was ready to retaliate after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats threatened a deal to end the war.
The Brent benchmark oil price jumped up by more than four percent after US Central Command announced the new wave of bombings, and China urged both sides to respect the truce and to resolve their dispute peacefully.
A blast damaged a tanker on the waterline off Oman, although the crew and vessel were reportedly safe after what was described as an "external explosion".
The Iranian foreign ministry said the US had committed a "gross violation" of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region, and Tehran "will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation".
US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces, said a spokesman for US Central Command.
Despite the strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that a deal remained within reach, but the strait was "going to be open one way or the other".
