A tanker caught fire after being hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, the British military said. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) said the tanker was struck near Limah, Oman, in the strait. The projectile hit the port side of the vessel while it was traveling south out of the strait toward the Gulf of Oman. There was no environmental impact from the strike, and authorities are investigating.
Iran's joint military command warned last Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the strait must use its approved routes. The warning stated: "Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces."
The attack was the latest targeting a vessel moving through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime. Suspicion immediately fell on Iran, which is suspected of attacking other ships using routes close to the Omani shore despite Tehran's warnings that only their route was safe.
The U.S. is eager to press ahead with negotiations with Iran aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran's disputed nuclear program, and reaching a permanent end to the war launched Feb. 28. But previous attacks in the strait have sparked retaliatory strikes by the U.S., which then saw Iran attack Gulf Arab states — raising the risk of an escalation.
Talks between Iran and the U.S., meanwhile, appear to be on hold until after the burial of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. Signs have been increasing that mourners at his funeral were calling for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump. Authorities flew Khamenei's body to the Shiite seminary city of Qom overnight, where he will be honored Tuesday.