Earlier today, we reported that a commercial vessel had come under attack near the Strait of Hormuz
By Sammy Tisser,
Earlier today, we reported that a commercial vessel had come under attack near the Strait of Hormuz. Additional information has since emerged indicating that a second commercial ship was also struck. Iran reportedly fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway overnight, damaging two ships but causing no casualties, according to Axios, citing a US official.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said one tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile about 15 kilometers east of Limah, Oman, igniting a fire. It later reported a second vessel had also been hit in the strait, with no casualties or environmental damage.
One of the targeted ships was identified as the Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat, while maritime security sources said the second vessel was the Saudi-flagged crude oil supertanker Wedyan. According to Reuters, the Al Rekayyat transmitted a distress call reporting it had been hit on the port side near the engine room, causing a fire and heavy smoke, though all crew members were reported safe. Later reports said the crew was being evacuated, while the vessel's condition remains unclear.
Qatar condemned the strike as an unacceptable attack on international navigation and global energy security, accusing Iran of violating international law and bearing full responsibility for the incident. The reported attack follows recent warnings by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial ships to avoid US-designated shipping routes near Oman and comes after indirect US-Iran talks ended last week without a public diplomatic breakthrough.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Diplomacy
Reported by Sammy Tisser for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.