STRAIT OF HORMUZ — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday condemned recent United States military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, characterizing Washington's approach as a rejection of diplomacy. In a series of public statements, he said the U.S. had repeatedly chosen confrontation over negotiation.

"Every time a 'diplomatic solution is on the table,' the US opts for a 'reckless military adventure'." Araghchi said. He also questioned the motivations behind the U.S. posture. "Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS [US President Donald Trump] into another quagmire?" he said.

The remarks followed exchanges in the Strait of Hormuz earlier Thursday, after which the U.S. fired on additional Iranian vessels. Both governments accused each other of launching attacks in the waterway, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments pass.

According to a statement from U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces disabled two Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers attempting to enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. The statement said U.S. forces fired precision munitions into the tankers' smokestacks, preventing them from entering Iranian ports, and were preventing more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

Central Command also accused Iran of launching missiles, drones and small boats against three U.S. warships in what it described as an unprovoked attack. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. had destroyed multiple small boats, missiles and drones, and that great damage was done to Iranian attackers. Trump earlier launched and then paused a U.S. military operation to free about 2,000 vessels stranded in the area since February.

Iran's top military command alleged the U.S. targeted an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz and carried out aerial attacks on several coastal areas. One of the cargo vessels attacked near the waters of Minab caught fire, Mohammad Radmehr said. Ten injured sailors have been transferred to a hospital, and local groups and search teams are trying to learn the fate of the other sailors, he said.

Oil and liquefied natural gas prices rose as the blockade continued. Iran has been attacking U.S. allies in the Gulf as the U.S. and Israel carried out attacks, and has been controlling the Strait of Hormuz.