Two Commercial Ships Struck by Projectiles in Strait of Hormuz, UK Maritime Agency Says

A container ship and a tanker were struck by unknown projectiles in two separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said, as attacks on shipping through the critical oil waterway continued.

FAKTA

• What happened: A container ship and a tanker were hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, in two separate incidents, according to UKMTO.
• The source: UKMTO, run by the British navy, said verified sources reported both strikes; the vessels were not named.
• Damage and casualties: Not disclosed — the agency said authorities were investigating and advised ships to transit with caution.
• Iran’s account: Iran’s army navy said it found a “law-breaking” tanker damaged and on fire in the eastern part of the strait; it did not say what caused the fire or whether it was the same tanker.
• The wider clash: The Revolutionary Guards navy commander said ships must get permission from his force to use the strait; the US Central Command rejected any Iranian claim to control the waterway.

Two Ships Struck by Projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz

UKMTO said the strikes occurred in two separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. The agency did not name the ships, give the times of the incidents, or report any damage or casualties, and said an official inquiry was underway.

Iran’s army navy, separately, said it had found a tanker damaged and on fire in the eastern part of the strait. In a statement carried by Iranian media, it said the ship had switched off its navigation systems and tried to cross a restricted area. The statement did not say what caused the fire, name the vessel, or make clear whether it was the same tanker reported by UKMTO.

Dozens of tankers transit the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s seaborne oil exports passes.

Rising Rhetoric Over Control of the Waterway

The head of the Revolutionary Guards navy, Ali Ozmaei, said in a televised interview on Tuesday that ships using the strait must get permission from his force, accusing the United States of encouraging vessels to leave the Gulf with their lights off. Iran has required ships to obtain prior clearance from the Revolutionary Guards navy since May and treats ships that go dark or use unapproved routes as hostile.

The US military’s Central Command rejected the claim to control the strait, saying in a post on X that US forces and regional partners had helped move more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway on Monday.

Maritime security monitors have recorded a sharp rise in incidents in the strait in recent weeks, with UKMTO also reporting multiple vessels struck earlier in the week. The strait carries a significant share of the world’s seaborne oil exports, and disruptions there affect global energy markets.

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