DUBAI – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz on the night of July 6, Axios reported, citing two US officials.
Two commercial ships suffered significant damage but had no casualties, the report said, citing a US official.
Separately, Britain’s maritime security agency said a tanker caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile east of Oman’s Limah early on July 7.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said early on July 7 that the tanker was struck on its port side while travelling southbound about 8 nautical miles (15km) east of Limah, causing a fire.
No casualties or environmental impact had been reported.
Reuters could not immediately verify the Axios report or determine whether the ships described in that report included the tanker cited in the UKMTO advisory.
US Central Command did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The reports underscored the risks to shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about a fifth of global oil consumption passes.
Commercial vessels have come under attack during the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, despite an interim agreement that included safe-passage provisions.
Indirect US-Iran talks ended last week without any public sign of headway towards a lasting peace, despite a 60-day ceasefire intended to create space for diplomacy following the US and Israeli strikes that triggered the conflict.
President Donald Trump said on July 6 the United States would either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job”, renewing his threat of military action as Tehran projects defiance following the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned ships via maritime radio over the weekend that “our missiles and drones are ready to fire at you,” the Wall Street Journal reported on July 6, quoting from a recording it obtained.
One of the vessels under attack appears to be Al Rekayyat, a liquefied natural gas tanker owned and managed by Nakilat, also known as Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd, which operates one of the world’s largest LNG shipping fleets, the WSJ said, adding that the ship had been hit on the port side, at the top of the engine room.
“Engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage. All crew are safe and mustered on the starboard side,” WSJ quoted from a recording.
The vessel was at the mouth of the strait, in the Gulf of Oman, when it was attacked, the WSJ said.
Nakilat, QatarEnergy and Qatar’s International Media Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside normal business hours.
Investors have been keeping a close eye on talks between the US and Iran over the fate of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz while tracking the recovery in Gulf oil exports. REUTERS
