US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that Iran had carried out a “drone attack” on Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz, adding a fresh twist to ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran over a proposed peace agreement.
The allegation was made in a post on Trump's Truth Social platform, where he criticised Iran over what he described as leaks related to the proposed deal.
“Also, their totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” Trump wrote.
No reports of attack from India or Iran
Trump's claim has so far not been backed by any public evidence. People familiar with the matter on both the Indian and Iranian sides said there were no reports of a drone attack on Indian-flagged vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday night or afterwards.
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There was also no official statement from either New Delhi or Tehran confirming such an incident.
The development comes at a sensitive time, with at least 13 Indian-flagged vessels currently waiting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed by Iran.
Diplomatic tensions continue
Trump's remarks came on the same day that India's Ministry of External Affairs summoned US charge d’affaires Jason Meeks for the second time this week. New Delhi lodged a protest over attacks by US forces on three merchant vessels with Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman.
The attacks reportedly resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers. Two of the affected vessels were Palau-flagged, while the third sailed under the Guinea-Bissau flag.
Peace deal said to be within reach
In the same social media post, Trump accused Iran of leaking details of the proposed agreement.
“What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth. Very dishonorable people to deal with. With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith,” Trump said. “They better get their act together, and FAST!”
Responding on social media, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said a memorandum of understanding with the US has “never been closer” and urged media outlets not to speculate about its contents.
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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said that a “final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached” between Iran and the US, adding that Pakistan is working with both sides to finalise the next steps.
FAQs:
What did Donald Trump claim about Indian ships?
Trump alleged Iran carried out a drone attack on Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
Has India or Iran confirmed the alleged attack?
No, officials familiar with the matter said there were no reports of such an attack, and neither side has officially confirmed it.
