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A tanker has been struck by three unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani side of the waterway, marking the latest attack on commercial shipping amid renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities.
UK Maritime Trade Operations said the attack occurred approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman, at around 2000 UTC on Monday.
"A tanker has reported being struck by 3 unknown projectiles whilst completing an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz," UKMTO said.
No casualties or environmental impact have been reported. Authorities are investigating, and UKMTO advised vessels in the area to transit with caution.
The attack is separate from another tanker incident reported by UKMTO earlier Monday involving unidentified military forces farther east of Oman in the Indian Ocean.
In that incident, UKMTO said it received a report from the vessel's master of "an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Indian Ocean." The agency provided no details about the tanker, the military forces involved or the nature of the encounter.
The location plotted by UKMTO appears east of Oman in the Arabian Sea, well outside the Strait of Hormuz.
There has been no confirmation that U.S. forces were involved. However, the location and reference to "military forces" come as the United States continues enforcing a maritime blockade aimed at preventing vessels from trading with Iran.
The U.S. military established the blockade in April, targeting ships entering or departing Iranian ports. U.S. forces have since boarded and seized multiple Iran-linked tankers, including vessels intercepted in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean. The Pentagon has said the blockade applies to vessels of all nationalities doing business with Iran.
The latest attack near Khasab is notable because the tanker was completing an outbound transit along the Omani side of the Strait, where commercial vessels have repeatedly come under attack during the conflict. UKMTO has not identified the vessel, disclosed what type of projectiles struck it or attributed the attack.
It also follows another recently disclosed attack near Khasab. UKMTO said over the weekend that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile approximately 12 nautical miles north of Khasab on August 29 while transiting inbound through the Strait. No casualties or environmental impact were reported in that incident.
The incidents come amid a sharp new escalation between Washington and Tehran following several weeks of relative military calm.
U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after U.S. Central Command said Iran was preparing rockets carrying mines for deployment in the waterway. Iran responded with missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters.
The renewed fighting follows claims by U.S. officials that American forces have cleared mines from internationally recognized shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, however, continues to assert control over navigation through the waterway, and commercial traffic remains severely disrupted.
The latest attacks also underscore the continuing risks along the Omani side of the Strait even after the U.S. mine-clearing operation. Maritime security officials have previously warned that the southern route has been particularly dangerous during the conflict.
Iranian media also reported Monday that a Saudi tanker had been stopped in the Strait of Hormuz, although there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia.
Taken together, Monday's reports point to continued instability across a broad area surrounding the Strait: an outbound tanker struck by three projectiles near Khasab, a separate tanker encounter involving military forces farther into the Indian Ocean, and renewed direct military exchanges between the United States and Iran.
The circumstances and attribution of both tanker incidents remain under investigation.
