Trump claims Iranian drone attack targeted Indian ships leaving Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that Iran had carried out a “drone attack” targeting Indian ships leaving,

The Strait of Hormuz, a statement that quickly sparked concern and confusion in both New Delhi and Tehran. Trump made the allegation in a post on his Truth Social platform, set against the backdrop of ongoing last-stage negotiations between the US and Iran over a proposed peace deal linked to a ceasefire reached in April.

In his post, Trump wrote: “Also, their totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” adding to a broader message in which he accused Iran of leaking details of the negotiations to what he called “Fake News” and questioned Tehran’s credibility in talks.

The claim comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment. On the same day, India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned the senior US diplomat in New Delhi, charge d’affaires Jason Meeks, for the second time in a week to raise concerns over attacks involving merchant vessels in the Gulf of Oman that left three Indian seafarers dead. Officials said the vessels in question included two Palau-flagged ships and one registered under Guinea-Bissau, all of which had Indian crew members.

However, people familiar with developments in both India and Iran said there were no confirmed reports of any drone attack on Indian-flagged vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday night or afterward. They also noted that at least 13 Indian-flagged ships were currently waiting to transit the strategically vital waterway.

So far, neither India nor Iran has issued any official confirmation of a drone strike as described in Trump’s post.

Following the controversy, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on social media that progress on a memorandum of understanding with the US was “never been closer,” urging restraint and caution against speculation over the details of ongoing discussions.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also weighed in, saying that a “final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached” between Iran and the US, and adding that Pakistan was working with both sides to finalise next steps.

The situation remains fluid, with competing claims, diplomatic activity, and conflicting public statements adding to uncertainty around both the alleged incident and the broader negotiations.