A tanker was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile while sailing near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Citing an unnamed US official, The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had fired at two commercial ships near the Strait. Axios, citing unnamed US officials, reported Iran had fired missiles at commercial ships transiting through the strait.
The reported attack occurred hours before US President Donald Trump departed for a high-stakes NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where leaders are expected to discuss security in the Strait, and as Iran observes a multi-day funeral for its slain former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, citing claims from unnamed sources, reported a Qatari oil tanker was attacked while attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz “after ignoring repeated warnings.”
“No official authority has yet confirmed or denied these reports,” it added.
The UKMTO said the vessel was eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman, when it was reportedly struck on its port side, igniting a fire. No casualties or environmental impact have been reported, it added.
CNN has reached out to US Central Command, which directs military operations in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, for comment. Tehran has paused fragile negotiations with the US aimed at reaching a lasting deal to end their conflict during the multi-day funeral for Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike in February, on the first day of the war.On Monday Trump had told reporters that the US would either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job,” according to Reuters.
In a post to X Tuesday alongside photos of crowds of mourners honoring Khamenei, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned negotiations on a final deal “will not commence if threats continue.”
He invoked paragraph 13 of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which says the two sides must fulfill several conditions before they can start negotiating a final deal.
Among those conditions is an end to all fighting, including in Lebanon, where Israel’s military carried out several strikes Monday, according to reports in Lebanese state media.Another condition is that Iran use its best efforts to ensure safe, free passage for commercial vessels through the Strait.
Iran’s bargaining chip
Authorities in Iran have repeatedly used the Strait of Hormuz – through which around a fifth of the world’s crude flowed before the war – as a bargaining chip.
Since the memorandum of understanding was signed, an increased number of ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz – many of those following a route that passes close to Oman, which shares the waterway.Tehran meanwhile has tried to strengthen its leverage by saying crew members must gain permission to traverse the strait along routes approved by its officials.
On Sunday, the IRGC warned that its navy deployed patrol boats to block the “Omani route,” Iranian media and a Telegram channel affiliated with the IRGC said. In its report on Monday’s alleged attack, Iran’s Fars news agency cited its sources as claiming the tanker had been attempting to transit via the “Omani route.”
Traffic through the Strait had remained steady in recent days but was not increasing, according to a post from the UKMTO Sunday, which warned risks remained for vessels crossing the crucial waterway.
“Risk remains lower than during the pre-MOU period; however, Iranian intent and capability to conduct intentional hostile action remain, and the environment continues to warrant heightened vigilance despite the absence of recent escalation,” the post from the UKMTO said, referring to the US-Iran MoU.One hundred and eight boats crossed the strait from Friday through Sunday, according to a Monday update from maritime tracking agency MarineTraffic. Before the war, more than 100 vessels transited the strait each day on average.
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