Oil tanker hit by projectile, catches fire in Strait of Hormuz

An oil tanker erupted in flames in the Strait of Hormuz after a projectile struck it, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported. The vessel was sailing near the Omani coast when the incident occurred.

UKMTO stated the ship was about eight nautical miles east of the Omani town of Limah, traveling south towards the Gulf of Oman, when its port side was hit. A fire broke out, but authorities confirmed no casualties or environmental damage.

Iranian state television claimed the tanker was carrying liquefied natural gas and was attacked after ignoring warnings from Iranian authorities. However, Tehran has not directly claimed responsibility. Iran has previously asserted that only routes approved by its authorities are safe in the Strait of Hormuz and has been suspected of targeting commercial vessels using alternative routes closer to Oman's coast.

Information regarding the perpetrators remains unclear. The Wall Street Journal, citing an anonymous U.S. official, reported that members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on two commercial vessels. Axios, also citing U.S. officials, wrote that Iran launched missiles at commercial ships in the area.

The attack occurred just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump was set to depart for a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where the security of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was a scheduled topic. The strait is a critical chokepoint for global energy trade, with approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas exports transiting it before the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel erupted.

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The ship was about eight nautical miles east of the Omani town of Limah, and was proceeding to the south-bound in the Gulf of Oman when the projectile struck its port side, causing a fire.