Iran accuses the US of targeting a tanker near Kharg Island, and other Mideast news

Iran has accused the United States of attacking an Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. Iranian state television reported that four U.S. missiles struck the tanker, approximately six miles from the island, with the crew being evacuated without casualties. The U.S. Central Command had not immediately commented on the accusation. Kharg Island is a crucial oil export terminal for Iran and has been a frequent target during U.S.-Iran conflict. This incident follows recent U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and intensified fighting around the Strait of Hormuz. In other Middle East news, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen accused government forces of killing three people in airstrikes, while Israeli strikes reportedly killed three people in southern Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump has again threatened to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground nuclear facility near the Natanz enrichment complex. This threat comes shortly after an Iranian oil tanker was struck by four US missiles off Kharg Island, a major oil export hub. Pickaxe Mountain, largely undamaged by previous strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, is seen by analysts as a potential site for Iran to rebuild its nuclear program, possibly housing centrifuges. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for power generation and not weapons development. The renewed threat occurs amidst ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, with mixed messaging from the Trump administration about the war's intensity, and stalled nuclear talks.