The attack came after a one-week agreement between the US and Iran to halt attacks in the strait expired, raising concerns about the MoU.
An oil tanker off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile” on Monday, sparking a fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
It said that the incident took place eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman, when the tanker was travelling south near the Omani coast in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to UKMTO, the tanker caught fire after being struck by a projectile.
“A tanker has reported being hit by an unknown projectile on the port side causing a fire, whilst travelling southbound,” UKMTO said in a post on X.
The agency confirmed that there were no reports of casualties or any kind of environmental damage.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the agency added, saying authorities were investigating.
US Claims Iranian Missiles Hit Tankers
Meanwhile, two US officials told Axios that at least two missiles were fired by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night.
The US official claimed that two commercial ships were hit by an Iranian missile and added that the vessels suffered significant damage; however, there were no casualties, according to Axios.
The US is expected to launch retaliatory strikes against the Iranian targets.
The incident occurred near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes, despite a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and ongoing efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement.
US-Iran Agreement To Halt Attacks In Strait Expires
The reported attack came after a one-week agreement between Washington and Tehran to halt attacks in the strait expired, raising concerns that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed less than three weeks ago could begin to unravel.
A round of indirect talks between the two sides in Doha last week ended without significant progress on the future of the strategic waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz had been the chokepoint of the US-Iran conflict. Tehran had blockaded the waterway, and several commercial vessels came under attack, sending global energy prices sharply higher.
The United States responded with a naval blockade before launching retaliatory strikes against Iran, accusing Tehran of targeting commercial shipping. Maritime traffic resumed after Washington and Tehran signed an MoU last month aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the strategic route.
Iran Confirms Hormuz Transit Fees
However, Iran has maintained that there will be no return to the pre-war arrangement under which ships could pass freely through the strait. Tehran has also warned vessels against using routes outside a corridor it has authorised along its coastline.
Speaking at the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Saturday, Iranian Ambassador Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Iran and Oman were working in “collaboration and cooperation” on “new arrangements” for the waterway.
“As a country where the Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will definitely charge service fees,” Azli said in translated remarks, while insisting such fees would not be a “toll.”
“These new arrangements will be concerning guaranteeing the security of passage through the Straits of Hormuz, supervision of the passage of the vessels… and also guaranteeing and dealing with the environmental consequences of the massive number of ships,” he said.