A tanker was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile while sailing near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Citing an unnamed US official, The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had fired at two commercial ships near the Strait. Axios, citing unnamed US officials, reported Iran had fired missiles at commercial ships transiting through the strait.
The UKMTO said the vessel was eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman, when it was reportedly struck on its port side, igniting a fire. No casualties or environmental impact have been reported, it added.
The reported attack occurred hours before US President Donald Trump departed for a high-stakes NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where leaders are expected to discuss security in the Strait , and as Iran observes a multi-day funeral for its slain former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has paused fragile negotiations with the US aimed at reaching a lasting deal to end their conflict during the multi-day commemorations for Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike in February, on the first day of the war.
CNN has reached out to US Central Command, which directs military operations in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, for comment.
Authorities in Iran have repeatedly used the Strait of Hormuz – through which around a fifth of the world’s crude flowed before the war – as a bargaining chip.
Tehran has tried to strengthen its leverage by saying crew members must gain permission to traverse the strait along routes approved by its officials.
On Sunday, the IRGC warned that its navy deployed patrol boats to block the “Omani route,” Iranian media and a Telegram channel affiliated with the IRGC said.
Traffic through the Strait had remained steady in recent days but was not increasing, according to a post from the UKMTO Sunday, which warned risks remained for vessels crossing the crucial waterway.
“Risk remains lower than during the pre-MOU period; however, Iranian intent and capability to conduct intentional hostile action remain, and the environment continues to warrant heightened vigilance despite the absence of recent escalation,” the post from the UKMTO said, referring to the memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran last month.
One hundred and eight boats crossed the strait from Friday through Sunday, according to a Monday update from maritime tracking agency MarineTraffic. Before the war, more than 100 vessels transited the strait each day on average.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo and Billy Stockwell contributed reporting.
