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Multiple ships came under attack close to the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, right after Iran said that it was reimposing restrictions on the strategic waterway.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency first reported that a tanker was fired upon by what it said were “two gunboats linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)” 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
The captain of the tanker said the two gunboats opened fire without issuing a radio challenge, UKMTO said in its advisory note, adding that the vessel and its crew were reported safe.
UKMTO later reported a second incident 25 nautical miles off the northeast of Oman. The agency said in an advisory note that a container ship was hit “by an unknown projectile which caused damage to some of the containers”. It added that “authorities are investigating.”
Soon after, a cruise ship located three nautical miles east of Oman reported seeing “a splash in close proximity,” according to another advisory note from UKMTO.
The attacks came just a few hours after Iran reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the waterway — responsible for 20% of the world’s total oil and liquefied natural gas shipments — after the United States said that the move would not end its blockade.
The Islamic Republic joint military command says that the “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces.”
It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
U.S. President Donald Trump had said that the American military blockade on Iranian ports “will remain in full force” until the Islamic Republic reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program.
Axios confirmed that at least three attacks have targeted commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iranian announcement.
In addition to the attacks, two Indian-flagged vessels, the cargo ship JAG ARNAV and the oil tanker SANMAR HERALD, both received orders to change their travel routes as they were denied access to the Strait of Hormuz by the IRGC. The ships made a U-turn after passing Larak Island along the agreed route.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh warned that the U.S. “cannot impose their will” and block the Strait of Hormuz.
“Americans cannot impose their will to do a siege over Iran while Iran, with good intention, is trying to facilitate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” the diplomat told journalists on the sidelines of an annual Turkish diplomatic forum in the southern province of Antalya.
From his side, Trump said that Iran “got a little cute” by reimposing its closure on the Strait of Hormuz but that the U.S. is in talks with them, and he will have information on the matter by the end of the day.
Briefing reporters in the White House, Trump said that dialogue with Iran is “working out really well” despite today’s closure of the strait.
“We’re talking to them,” he insists.
“They wanted to close up the strait again,” he added, insisting that “they can’t blackmail us.”
The latest attacks confirmed, yet again, that Iran is in complete control of the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway will not likely open in full without an agreement.
The two-week ceasefire is nearing its end, and despite reports of progress, the two countries are still too far on many key issues. All recent positive remarks from Trump may be just an attempt to keep energy prices low ahead of the next round of fighting.
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no more ceasefire iran should attack those ship which are blocking iranian ship . its tit for tat . this criminal will understand the language of good gesture. and same time hezbollah should attack israel if they voilate ceasfire use the same language of israel.
what we learn: the strait of hormuz is either open for all or closed for all. the us strategy doesn’t work!