A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain’s maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed an interim peace deal.The warring sides each accused the other of violating the agreement reached two weeks ago to end the four-month-old conflict. Washington said it hit Iranian targets overnight, while Iran said it had struck targets linked to U.S. forces on Saturday in response.
Saturday’s attack on a tanker in the strait followed another on a cargo ship on Thursday that triggered the latest escalation. Iran has made a fresh bid to assert control over the world’s most important energy shipping route, which has begun to reopen over the past two weeks after months of disruption.Britain’s UKMTO maritime security agency said the tanker hit on Saturday had sustained damage to its bridge, with all crew reported safe. The Joint Maritime Information Center, run by a coalition of navies protecting shipping, said it had raised its security threat level as a result of recent incidents.
Iran has not directly commented on reports of specific attacks on ships. But Iranian state television reported that the Revolutionary Guards had fired “warning shots” towards unspecified vessels attempting to pass through channels not approved by Iran, and that this was now prompting other ships to seek Iranian permits before attempting to cross the strait.Earlier, Iran’s foreign ministry said it had launched “defensive” attacks on U.S.-linked military targets, while Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters, reported an Iranian drone attack. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to the reports.
