A third tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz within a 24-hour period, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said on Tuesday.
“UKMTO has received a report of a further incident involving a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker was struck by an unknown Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and has sustained minor structural damage. No casualties or environmental impact reported,” the agency said in a post on X.
Earlier, UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident involving a tanker traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
The agency said the vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile and was believed to have sustained structural damage. No casualties or environmental impact were reported.
Not an isolated incident
A tanker was struck on Monday by an unknown projectile near Oman’s Limah, causing a fire onboard, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.
The vessel was traveling southbound in the Gulf of Oman when the incident occurred. No casualties have been reported so far, although reports indicate that the vessel suffered significant damage.
The incident comes as regional maritime tensions remain high amid ongoing Iran-US talks. Tehran has previously called on vessels to adhere to designated navigation requirements and avoid unauthorized routes.
Meanwhile, Iranian Press TV, citing an informed source, reported that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is continuing according to arrangements set by Iran.
In total four or five ships were targeted for likely skirting Iran’s rules for the passage.
Multiple explosions were later reported near the Iranian cities of Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, and Sirik, according to local media, shortly before the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had begun carrying out a series of “powerful strikes” against Iran.
IRIB correspondents reported that six explosions were heard near a village outside Qeshm, while seven blasts were reported near the village of Tahrovi in Sirik County. In Sirik, strikes targeted a commercial pier and a fishing port. The Iranian broadcaster also reported that several people were wounded by shrapnel at the commercial pier in Sirik.
Officials also said that attacks on Bandar Abbas targeted a fishing pier and set several fishing boats ablaze.
The reports came amid a US decision to reimpose sanctions on Iranian oil.
Zionist regime bombing hits southern Lebanon
Amid the reports of explosions in Iran and the CENTCOM announcement, zionist occupation forces launched airstrikes targeting the southern Lebanese town of Beit Yahoun and the area between Braachit and Beit Yahoun.
Zionist artillery targeted the outskirts of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa and Meifadoun, while an airstrike hit the former.
The strikes added to the regional escalation as the US military attacks against Iran coincided with zionist attacks on southern Lebanon.
Iran condemns US sanctions move amid rising tensions
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned Washington’s decision to revoke the temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, describing the move as a violation of Article 10 of the Islamabad Memorandum signed on June 28.
Tehran said the US decision to end the temporary sanctions waiver less than 20 days after the agreement demonstrated “bad faith, instability, and unreliability” of the US administration.
The ministry pointed to Washington’s repeated violations of the provisions of the memorandum, including through the actions of the zionist occupation against Lebanon, while stressing that Iran had fulfilled its commitments under the agreement in good faith.
Iran warned that the United States would bear responsibility for the consequences of breaching the agreement, adding that Tehran would take any measures it deemed necessary to protect its interests and national security.
The US reimposed sanctions after reports of attacks on vessels sailing through unauthorized routes via the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington describing the incidents as “wholly unacceptable” while stating that negotiations with Tehran remain ongoing.