Two cargo vessels struck near Strait of Hormuz – monitor Two cargo ships were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The strategic waterway, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, is currently under a dual blockade, with Iran restricting access to “hostile vessels” while US naval forces block ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. The first alert followed reports from several ships near the Emirati city of Ras Al Khaimah, which said they had been ordered via radio to leave anchorage and move toward Dubai. Shortly afterward, a northbound bulk carrier was attacked by multiple small craft about 11 nautical miles west of Sirik, Iran. Hours later, a tanker was struck by unidentified projectiles roughly 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah in the UAE. All crew were reported safe, and no environmental impact was recorded, according to UKMTO. On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the US would begin guiding ships from neutral countries through the strait starting Monday. An estimated 2,000 vessels have been trapped in and around Hormuz since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28. According to Axios, the US would provide commercial ships with information about safe lanes free of Iranian mines, while US Navy vessels would remain ready to prevent Iran from targeting ships passing through the strait. Iran has warned that any intervention would constitute a violation of the ceasefire reached nearly a month ago. Iran maintains that it has a “natural right” to control the strait, with Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad saying on Sunday that Tehran will not back down from its position regardless of the outcome of peace talks with the US.
Two cargo vessels struck near Strait of Hormuz – monitor Two cargo ships were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The strategic waterway, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natur…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.