A cargo ship was struck by multiple small craft while sailing near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, UK military officials said.
The ship, which was not immediately identified, was hit right off the coast of Sirik, Iran, just east of the strait, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre.
All crew members were reported safe, with no group immediately claiming responsibility for the attack.
Iran’s military, however, has repeatedly warned any ship that tries to navigate the strait would be attacked unless they pay a toll and prove they are not affiliated with the US or Israel.
The vessel was heading north into the Persian Gulf — not trying to exit it.
There have been at least two dozen attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the war with Iran began, with Sunday’s strike marking the first since April 22.
Tehran has effectively shut down the key oil chokepoint with repeated attacks and threats on cargo ships and tankers that tried to sail through.
Despite the US and Israel sinking Iran’s navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps maintains a fleet of small patrol boats along the strait.
President Trump ordered last month to “shoot and kill” any small boats that pose a threat to shipping traffic.
The Islamic Republic has warned that the Strait of Hormuz, which once saw the transport of 20% of the world’s oil supply, will remain under its control regardless of the outcome of the tenuous peace talks with the US.
“[Tehran] “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions,” Iran’s deputy parliament speaker said Sunday.
Trump, who has maintained a US Navy blockde on Iran’s ports to exert economic pressure on the country, recently warned that the US could renew airstrikes in Iran if a peace deal could not be reached.
With Post wires
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
