New ship attacks near Hormuz as Trump, Xi discuss Iran

An Indian cargo vessel carrying livestock was sunk by a suspected missile or drone strike Thursday off Oman's coast, and a second ship near the UAE port of Fujairah was boarded by unauthorized personnel who attempted to steer it toward Iran, British maritime authorities reported.

The twin incidents underscored the deepening disruption to global energy flows as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil normally passes — entered its third month, even as President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss reopening the waterway, according to The Korea Times.

All 14 crew members aboard the stricken Indian vessel were rescued by Oman's coastguard after the ship sank in waters off the Omani coast, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said. In a separate incident the same day, the British maritime advisory firm Vanguard reported that unauthorized personnel boarded a ship near the UAE's Fujairah port and attempted to redirect it toward Iranian waters.

Trump and Xi agreed that "the strait should be open, and that Iran should never obtain nuclear weapons," a White House official said. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to CNBC from Beijing, urged China to do "what they can to help open the strait," calling it "very much in their interest."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Beijing "to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they're doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf," in an interview with Fox News aboard Air Force One. Rubio added that Washington had made clear that "any support for Iran would obviously be detrimental for our relationship."

Peace negotiations have stalled since a single round of talks held in Pakistan last month, with both sides rejecting each other's latest proposals last week and no subsequent face-to-face meetings scheduled, according to The Korea Times. Iran still holds more than 400 kilograms of near-weapons-grade highly enriched uranium. Washington has demanded Iran surrender its stockpile and halt enrichment; Iran has demanded sanction relief, war reparations and formal recognition of its authority over the strait.

Iran's state news agency Fars reported 30 vessels had transited the strait since Wednesday evening, compared with roughly 140 ships on a typical pre-conflict day. Iran has selectively allowed passage for certain nations — Japan's prime minister negotiated access for a Japanese tanker, and a Chinese tanker also crossed Wednesday. Iran's Judiciary Spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said Thursday that "the seizure of U.S. tankers violating Iranian regulations was being carried out under domestic and international law."

The United States paused its six-week bombing campaign last month but added a naval blockade of Iranian ports. With diplomacy stalled and new attacks mounting, no timeline for reopening the waterway has emerged.