Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched at least two missiles at commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, according to Axios, which cited two U.S. officials familiar with the situation.
Both targeted ships suffered considerable damage, though no crew members were killed or injured, a U.S. official told Axios. U.S. Central Command had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported early Tuesday that a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile on its port side while traveling southbound, roughly 8 nautical miles — about 15 kilometers — east of Oman’s Limah. The strike sparked a fire aboard the vessel, though no casualties or environmental damage had been reported.
The incident follows the collapse of indirect diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Iran last week, which wrapped up without any visible progress toward a lasting peace agreement. Those negotiations had been taking place under a 60-day ceasefire meant to allow room for diplomacy after U.S. and Israeli military strikes sparked the conflict.
Earlier Monday, President Donald Trump stated that the United States would either negotiate a deal with Iran or “finish the job,” once again threatening military action. His remarks came as Iran showed a defiant posture following the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Over the weekend, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard broadcast a warning to ships via maritime radio. The Wall Street Journal, which obtained a recording, reported the message: “Our missiles and drones are ready to fire at you.”
One of the vessels that came under attack appears to be the Al Rekayyat, a liquefied natural gas tanker owned and operated by Nakilat, the shipping division of Qatar’s LNG sector, according to the Wall Street Journal. The ship was reportedly struck on its port side near the top of the engine room.
A recording obtained by the Wall Street Journal captured a distress message from the vessel: “Engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage. All crew are safe and mustered on the starboard side.”
The ship was located at the entrance to the strait, in the Gulf of Oman, when the attack occurred, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Financial markets and global investors have been closely watching U.S.-Iran negotiations over the security of shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, while also monitoring the pace of recovery in Gulf oil exports.
