Commercial ships attempting to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday were turned away by Iranian naval forces, with at least two vessels coming under gunfire from Iranian boats, according to maritime sources.
Multiple merchant ships had tried to make the crossing after receiving maritime notices Friday indicating that passage through the waterway would be permitted, though limited to specific routes that Iran considered secure.
However, on Saturday, Iranian vessels opened fire on at least two ships in the waters near Qeshm and Larak islands, forcing them to retreat before completing their journey, shipping and maritime security officials told Reuters.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed receiving reports of an incident occurring 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. According to the report, a tanker’s captain said two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats had approached and fired upon his vessel. The tanker and its crew remained unharmed.
Maritime security sources also confirmed that a container ship was struck by gunfire during a separate incident.
Multiple vessels reported receiving VHF radio broadcasts from Iran’s navy announcing the waterway’s closure.
The Iranian radio transmission stated: “Attention all ships, regarding the failure of the U.S. government to fulfil its commitment in the negotiation, Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz completely closed again. No vessel of any type or nationality is allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The closure has left hundreds of ships and approximately 20,000 maritime workers stranded in the Gulf region, unable to transit through the critical shipping lane that carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
