Two gunboats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it had reimposed restrictions on the vital waterway, according to the British military.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said the tanker and its crew were safe, though it did not identify the vessel or disclose its destination.
Iran had earlier said it was reinstating restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz in response to what it described as a US blockade on Iranian shipping and ports.
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Tehran has largely prevented vessels from crossing the strategic route during the seven-week conflict, allowing passage only to ships it authorises.
Clash Report, in a post on X, said: “A tanker about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman was approached by two IRGC gunboats, which opened fire without issuing a VHF warning; the vessel and crew are safe.”
According to AP, at least two Indian vessels were forced to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Vessel-tracking firm TankerTrackers.com said one of the affected ships was an Indian-flagged supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.
The latest incident adds to mounting tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil shipping chokepoints, amid Iran's renewed attempts to tighten control over maritime traffic in the region.
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