At least two merchant vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly come under fire, an incident that follows Iran’s decision to close the crucial shipping lane. Tehran claims Washington has failed to honor its commitments under a ceasefire deal.
Prior to the closure, multiple ships had begun navigating the strait, marking the “first major movement” of maritime traffic through the waterway since hostilities commenced. UK Maritime Trade Operations confirmed logging a reported incident in waters northeast of Oman, near the strait.
According to the Royal Navy-run organization, a tanker captain reported that vessels belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard approached his ship before opening fire. Despite the gunfire, both the tanker and its crew are understood to be safe. The incident was recorded by UK Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors shipping activity in the region.
Ships were reportedly informed that the key waterway was “completely open” following Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday evening. However, despite hopes for improving relations between Tehran and Washington, the Iranian military stated that the strait had “returned to its previous state” and now requires Iran’s approval for passage.
A statement from Iran’s Central Military HQ asserted: “Iran agreed to allow a limited number of ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz according to agreements. But the US did not fulfill their obligations. So, the Strait of Hormuz is now closed again and passage requires IRAN approval.” The passage has been effectively closed since America’s attack on February 28.
Iran’s top national security body further declared that as long as the “enemy” applies a naval blockade, Iran will consider it a violation of the ceasefire and will prevent any conditional or limited opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
MarineTraffic monitoring showed multiple vessels, including carriers for oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and chemical cargo, navigating the passage this morning. This movement represented the first significant transit of commercial shipping through the strait since hostilities began seven weeks ago.
The US military reported that since the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas, 23 ships have complied with US forces’ orders to turn back toward Iran.
In response, the UK and France have announced their intention to “lead a multinational mission” to protect vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as conditions allow.” Speaking from Paris, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed: “I can confirm that along with France, the UK will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation as soon as conditions allow. This will be strictly peaceful and defensive, as a mission to reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance. We invite all nations with an interest in the free flow of global trade to join us. Some have already indicated their readiness to contribute. We will take this forward with a military planning conference in London next week where we will announce more detail on the composition of the mission, and over a dozen countries have already offered to contribute assets.”
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