Unknown projectile hits two tankers near Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO reports

A projectile of unknown origin struck a Qatari tanker in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman, causing a fire. A further incident was later reported, in which a Saudi Arabian oil tanker was damaged near the Omani coast. The British maritime service UKMTO reported the incidents today, saying that no casualties or environmental impact had been reported. Tensions remain high in the region despite the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Iranian state television said today that Iranian forces attacked a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar after the vessel ignored warnings, the AP news agency reports. Official sources have not confirmed the information. Iran's leaders have repeatedly urged commercial vessels to use only routes designated by Tehran when transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran says only those routes are safe. The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime route for transporting oil and LNG from countries around the Persian Gulf.

The Axios news site, citing two unnamed US officials, reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. One official said the shelling damaged two ships. No official statement from the United States is available, the DPA news agency reported.

The incident occurred east of the Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz, about 15 kilometres from the Omani village of Lima. UKMTO issued a warning to ships in the area to navigate with caution and report any suspicious activity. The strike caused a fire, but UKMTO said no direct environmental damage had been reported.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid Al Ansari today condemned the attack on a Qatari vessel as unacceptable and called it a serious and flagrant violation of international law, Reuters reported.

At the end of June, UKMTO reported that a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. A similar incident occurred shortly beforehand, when a commercial vessel was hit in an attack in the strait, which Washington blamed on Iran.

Tehran and Washington have accused each other of violating the memorandum of understanding they signed in mid-June, with a view to reaching a final peace deal. Immediately after the memorandum was signed, the United States was to begin ending its naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran was to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, free of charge for 60 days.

In the memorandum, both sides also pledged to continue observing the ceasefire that has been in effect since 8 April. The war began on 28 February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed, among others, Iran's supreme spiritual leader Ali Khamenei. His funeral has been taking place since Saturday and will conclude on 9 July. US-Iranian peace talks mediated by Pakistan and Qatar are expected to resume afterwards.

US President Donald Trump, however, renewed his threats against Tehran on Monday, saying that Iran would either reach a deal or the United States would “finish the job”. “I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” Trump said. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour. We can knock out their energy supplies,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today in response that peace talks between Tehran and Washington would not continue if Trump kept threatening Iran, Reuters reported. The minister urged the United States to honour the June agreement.