Iran said it struck an unmanned U.S. vessel attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. military called the claim a "total lie." The assertion followed a U.S. military announcement that three Iranian oil tankers had been struck in response to a missile attack on Navy warships. The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, and intermittent fighting continued after a ceasefire announced in June. Attacks resumed last week after a month of relative calm, including strikes around the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian communities along its coast. At least five people were killed earlier in the week in a U.S. bombardment of southern Iran. The Trump administration has combined military responses around the strait with pressure on foreign financial institutions handling Iranian funds. Iran’s new hard-line senior leaders have signaled resistance, while Tehran continues using sanctions-evasion methods, including a shadow fleet (concealed oil-shipping network), to sell crude and relieve economic pressure. Diplomats say the U.S., Britain, France and Germany seek to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council over alleged failures to meet nuclear nonproliferation obligations.