The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has issued a fresh attack warning after a tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest in a series of assaults on commercial shipping as hostilities between the US and Iran escalate.
In "Warning 094-26," issued on Tuesday, UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident eight nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman.
"UKMTO has received multiple reports that a tanker is reporting over VHF Channel 16 that it has been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz," the agency said, adding that authorities were investigating and advising vessels to "transit with caution and report any suspicious activity."
UKMTO WARNING 094-26
— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) July 20, 2026
Click here to view the full warning.⤵️https://t.co/aoiDBX4hey#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/OGgsCfHkG2
According to Xinhua, which cited a recording of ship-to-ship radio communication provided by a crew member, the vessel was a Kuwait-flagged tanker carrying oil and chemicals.
Two crew members sustained minor injuries, the report said, while thick smoke was seen coming from the damaged area and the ship's bunker tank caught fire. The vessel's main engine was disabled as a result of the strike.
The attack comes amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, days after a ceasefire that briefly held in late June and early July collapsed.
ALSO READ: Iran Will Pay For Killing Of American Soldiers, Trump Warns As US Launches Fresh Strikes
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade passes, has repeatedly come under threat since the US-Israel war on Iran began on 28 February, with Iran seeking to assert control over the waterway.
Monday's incident follows a string of similar attacks on tankers transiting the strait in recent weeks, several of which have caused fires, engine damage and, in some cases, crew injuries.
The renewed violence has coincided with fresh US strikes on Iranian military targets, which CENTCOM said were aimed at degrading Tehran's capacity to threaten commercial vessels in the waterway.
Global shipping firms have repeatedly suspended or rerouted operations through the strait since the crisis began, contributing to volatility in international oil prices. Authorities have yet to confirm the extent of damage to Monday's targeted vessel or identify those responsible for the strike.
ALSO READ: Hormuz Deadlock: Projectile Strike Sets Dynacom Tanker Ablaze Off Omani Coast
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