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Two commercial tankers reported near-misses in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran claimed to have downed an American drone over the waterway.
The latest attacks on commercial vessels off Oman came ahead of United States President Donald Trump’s announcement that new peace talks with Iran were set to begin on August 3. Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz were nearing completion. No details were given on the scope of the talks, or what any agreement might entail.
On August 2, the very large crude carrier Egypt Prosperity reported receiving threats over the radio claiming to be from Iran’s Sepah Navy, according to maritime security company Vanguard Tech.
The Liberian-flagged ship was around 20 nautical miles northeast of the town of Khasab in Oman, when a loud explosion was heard “at a considerable distance from the vessel’s starboard beam.” The vessel changed course and proceeded toward Dubai, and both the vessel and crew were reported safe.
The second vessel that may have been targeted was the Aframax oil tanker On Pride, which reported multiple warning shots in its vicinity and an explosion around 1.5 nautical miles from its port quarter, according to Vanguard Tech.
Vanguard stated, “The Master believed that the unidentified projectile had been directed at another vessel but could not confirm this.”
The very next day, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that its aerospace force shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper combat drone over the Strait of Hormuz using a “modern and advanced” air defense system. The Corps said that further details would be announced subsequently.
MQ-9s are used primarily to collect intelligence but also have the ability to conduct pinpoint strikes. The advanced drones can operate for more than 27 hours and reach altitudes above 25,000 feet.
The latest incident shows that the Strait of Hormuz remains tightly under Iran’s control. It also indicates that the Islamic Republic and the U.S. are not nearing an agreement to reopen the strategic waterway – responsible for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
The upcoming round of talks could produce a ceasefire, and soften Iranian measures on the Strait of Hormuz. At best, the memorandum of understanding reached in June could be reactivated. However, with no comprehensive agreement, fighting will likely resume.
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