US Official: Iran Behind Cargo Ship Attack Near Oman

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Iran was behind an attack on a cargo ship near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, a U.S. official told MS NOW.

CNBC has asked the White House if the attack is a violation of the United States' memorandum of understanding with Iran that has paused hostilities in the region for 60 days to give time for peace talks to develop a permanent end to the war.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British maritime security alert service, earlier Thursday said in a post on X that the cargo vessel passing through the strait near Dahit, Oman, had been hit "by an unknown projectile" on its starboard side, "causing damage to the bridge."

The ship reported no casualties and no environmental impact, according to the UKMTO.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the ship was sailing under a Singapore flag.

Earlier Thursday, the speaker of Iran's parliament scoffed at Trump administration claims that the Islamic Republic's unfrozen assets will be used to purchase U.S. agricultural products.

Shadati | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images

The retort by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf came after days of statements by President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that a temporary peace deal that will lead to unfreezing Iranian assets will be a boon to U.S. farmers.

The comment came as Trump is facing criticism from some Republican lawmakers over his handling of the war against Iran and the memorandum of understanding.

"America falsely claims our unfrozen assets will buy their agriculture. Interesting," Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X.

"The only crop we're harvesting is what you planted: decades of mistrust," Ghalibaf wrote. "It's organic, abundant, and homegrown. But apparently the US only exports GMO soybeans, broken promises and trash talks."

The White House, when asked for comment, provided a statement from a U.S. official, who said, "No frozen funds have left the channel and no frozen funds will leave the channel unless Iran meets the requirements outlined in the MOU [memorandum of understanding]."

"As the MOU states, the United States must approve how the funds are used," the official said. "As Vice President JD Vance announced this week, if Iranian assets are released, they will be used to purchase American agricultural products to feed the Iranian people."

Trump, in a social media post on Tuesday, wrote: "The Money and/or Sanctions that the U.S. Treasury is releasing goes into escrow, controlled by the U.S.A., and will be used for the purchase of food and medical supplies, exclusively from the United States, including Corn, Wheat, and Soybeans from our great American Farmers."

Bessent, during an interview on Wednesday with CNBC's "Squawk Box," echoed that claim, saying the Treasury Department will oversee Iranian funds when they are released.

"A very large percentage of it will go to buy U.S. foodstuffs and medicines," Bessent said.

Iran has repeatedly denied those claims.

Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that any agricultural purchases would be based on "prices and quality," not on conditions imposed by the U.S., The Associated Press reported.

"It is interesting that the philosophy and goal of the war, which was the destruction of the Iranian civilization and the collapse of Iran, has become enriching American farmers," Baghaei said.

The White House on Wednesday asked Congress to approve nearly $88 billion in supplemental spending to pay for costs associated with the war against Iran as well as for aid to U.S. farms and the response to an outbreak of Ebola in Africa.

The request was immediately opposed by congressional Democrats.

Also on Wednesday, in a late-night vote, the Senate rejected a resolution aimed at giving Congress the authority to stop the war. The vote came a day after the Republican-controlled Senate approved a similar measure.

The reversal came after a closed-door meeting Trump had with Senate Republicans, two of whom changed their earlier votes: Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who switched his vote to a "no" on the resolution, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who changed his vote from "yes" to "present."

Also on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported Iran is pushing to earn billions of dollars from charging for security, safety and environmental services in the Strait of Hormuz.

The newspaper said Iran is promoting that idea by suggesting its Persian Gulf neighbors share in revenue from such services.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump have flatly rejected the idea of ships passing through the strait being subject to tolls or fees.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most sensitive choke point for the shipment of oil. Twenty percent of the oil that the world consumes passed through the strait before the U.S. and Israel began their war against Iran in late February.

Under the 60-day agreement that paused that war, Iran cannot impose tolls on ships in the strait during that time.