Tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz as Iran mourns Khamenei

International Tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz as Iran mourns Khamenei Comments: by Finya Swai - 07/07/26 8:43 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Finya Swai - 07/07/26 8:43 AM ET Comments: Link copied

NOW PLAYING

A commercial tanker caught fire after being struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the British military said Monday.

The vessel was hit off the coast of Limah in Oman while traveling southbound, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations, which is part of the British Royal Navy.

The projectile struck the ship’s portside, igniting a fire. No casualties or environmental impacts were reported, the monitoring agency said, and authorities are currently investigating.

Tehran warned oil tankers moving through the strait to use its approved routes or else face a “forceful response.”

Iranian state media reported Tuesday that a Qatari oil tanker called “Al-Raqayat” attempting to pass through the Omani route in the strait “was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings,” but did not explicitly claim responsibility for the attack.

The incident comes less than a week after Iran began its multi-day funeral processions for its slain leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28 that triggered the war.

The funeral drew massive crowds of mourners and world leaders to Tehran, where tens of thousands marched through the capital to lay to rest the regime’s longest reigning supreme leader.

Iran has asserted its control over the strait, a critical chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that carries a fifth of global oil and gas supplies.

The shipping corridor is an essential aspect of the 14-point memorandum of understanding signed by Washington and Iran last month, as the nations work toward securing a broader peace deal.

But Iran’s attacks on commercial ships and a slate of retaliatory strikes have caused both sides to accuse each other of violating an already fragile ceasefire.

The Trump administration has pushed for an agreement that would permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has caused global oil prices to skyrocket and caused immense pressure for consumers at the gas pump.

Although the U.S. and Iran previously agreed to allow ships to pass through the waterway without transit fees, the two sides remain divided over Tehran’s insistence that commercial traffic use its approved routes and eventually pay tolls for passage.

The Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the U.S. Navy, told commercial shipping companies that an alternate route near Oman’s coastline “has been expanded and remains available for all traffic.”