The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was struck by an 'unknown projectile' off the coast of Limah, Oman, on Monday night, causing a fire on board.
Axios news site, citing two unnamed US officials, reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at least two missiles at commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The officials said the two vessels suffered serious damage but no casualties.
Sources speaking to Reuters said that one of the tankers struck was the Qatari-flagged LNG carrier 'Al Rekayyat,' and the other a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker, adding that the engine room fire on the first vessel posed an explosion risk.
Iranian state television claimed the tanker continued despite warnings, but Tehran has not directly claimed responsibility for the attack. No official statement came from US Central Command (CENTCOM) or the IRGC on the matter.
Tension and peace talks in the Strait of Hormuz
The attack came at a time when delicate talks aimed at ending the war between the US and Iran are ongoing. The memorandum of understanding signed after the war that started on February 28 called for a 60-day ceasefire and negotiations for a permanent agreement.
Analyst Hossein Royvaran from Tehran, in an assessment to Al Jazeera, said the Qatari tanker may have entered an area where Iranian mine-clearing teams were present.
According to data from tracking firm Kpler, a total of 108 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. Before the war, 120-140 ships passed through the strait daily; at the peak of the war, traffic had dropped to as few as 2 tankers per day.
Since the beginning of the war, Iran has restricted transit through the strait, while in June the US began imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Due to the mine threat and commercial risks, vessel traffic has not fully recovered despite the memorandum of understanding.
What impact will it have on the talks?
Experts say the provisions of the US-Iran memorandum concerning the strait are vague, and the latest attack could disrupt the peace process. Indirect talks that concluded in Qatar last week did not produce a lasting agreement.
Prof. Mohsen Milani of the University of South Florida said Iran is trying to increase its bargaining power by geographically weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington seeks to limit Iran's control under the principle of freedom of navigation.
US President Trump said in a statement at the Oval Office, "We will either make a deal or finish it. Finishing it won't be hard. I'd prefer a deal because I don't want to impact 91 million people." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakçi said such threats violate the memorandum and stressed that if threats persist, negotiations for a final agreement will not begin.
