00:00We are an LNG vessel loaded with LNG dangerous cargo. We require your assistance.
00:07That was the distress call from the Qatari tanker Al-Reqayat.
00:11After it was struck near the Strait of Formuz on Tuesday,
00:14Qatar's blamed Iran for attacking vessels in the strait, including the Al-Reqayat.
00:19Iran's foreign ministry said Qatar's accusations were perplexing
00:23and that Tehran was diligently fulfilling its commitments.
00:26At the same time, it asserted that commercial vessels faced risks
00:31when using routes not coordinated with Iran.
00:34In response, the United States launched a new round of strikes on Iran on Tuesday
00:38and revoked a license that had allowed Tehran to continue selling oil on international markets.
00:44Oil prices rose more than 3 percent after the U.S. announced the move.
00:48A U.S. official told Reuters the strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems,
00:53coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone
00:58launch sites. In this eyewitness video verified by Reuters, smoke can be seen rising from a fire
01:04in Bandar Abbas, Iran. The blaze in the port area was caused by an explosion from U.S. airstrikes.
01:10Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday said they targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain
01:15and Kuwait in response to American strikes. Both sides are accusing each other of violating the
01:21ceasefire reached between Washington and Tehran just weeks ago. Analysts say Tehran uses a tax on
01:27shipping to underscore its leverage as it negotiates with Washington over a longer-term agreement.
01:33U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States still wants a deal with Iran,
01:37but warned military action remains an option.
01:40Look, we're going to win one way or the other. We're either going to make a deal or we're going
01:44to finish the job, okay? And it won't be tough to finish the job. I'd rather make a deal
01:51because I don't want to affect 91 million people.
01:53The confrontation comes as Iran mourns Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
01:58Hundreds of thousands gathered in the holy city of Qum on Tuesday for funeral ceremonies,
02:03with chants of defiance underscoring the public mood.
02:07For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the standoff. It is unclear whether
02:12the attacks will lead to another full-scale interruption of shipping traffic through the
02:16strait, which before the conflict carried about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies.
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