Two US officials said that the Iranian army fired at least two missiles at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening (archive photo)
British maritime authorities said on Tuesday that an oil tanker caught fire after it was hit by an “unidentified projectile” while crossing the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, in an incident that exacerbated tensions in one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the tanker was heading south near Lima, Oman, when it was hit on the port side, causing a fire.The agency said there were no casualties or environmental damage and advised ships to exercise caution while crossing the area. Authorities are investigating the incident.
US officials blame Iran for the attacks
According to Axios, citing American officials, the Iranian army fired at least two missiles at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening.One US official said the tanker reported by the UKMTO was among the ships struck, while another commercial ship was also hit by an Iranian missile. Both ships sustained severe damage, but no casualties were reported.The reported attacks came after the end of a week-long agreement between the United States and Iran to stop attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.This temporary pause coincided with the six-day official funeral ceremony in Iran for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose body was transported from Tehran to the holy city of Qom on Monday after a massive funeral procession that attracted millions of mourners.
Axios reported that Washington is now likely to consider launching retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets.The attack occurred despite a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a long-term peace agreement.Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran held in Doha last week ended without significant progress on the future of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Major global shipping route
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important sea lanes, carrying about 20 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2024, or nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.The waterway was at the heart of the recent US-Iranian conflict after Iran imposed a blockade and several commercial ships were attacked, sending global energy prices sharply higher.Marine traffic resumed after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding last month aimed at reopening the road.However, Tehran stressed that shipping would not return to pre-war arrangements and warned ships against using routes outside the authorized corridor along the Iranian coast.The funeral services for Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli raid on February 28, continue this week with events in the city of Qom, and the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before his burial in Mashhad on Thursday.The Iranian leadership viewed the mass mobilization as a show of public unity in the wake of the recent conflict.The British army said that the tanker was trying to exit the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman when it was bombed.The latest incident is expected to renew concerns about the security of global energy supplies as tensions continue in the Gulf.