Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates. AP
A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz says it has come under fire from two gunboats operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The incident took place 20 nautical miles north-east of Oman. The tanker and crew have been reported safe, UKMTO added, according to BBC.
The UKMTO reported another incident 25 nautical miles off the north-east of Oman, saying a container ship has been hit "by an unknown projectile which caused damage to some of the containers". Authorities are investigating, UKMTO said.
Separately, at least two merchant vessels say they were hit by gunfire as they attempted to cross the strait.
The vessels received a radio message from the Iranian Navy saying the Strait had been shut again, shipping sources have told Reuters.
The Iranian Navy told the tankers that no ships are allowed to pass through the Strait, the sources add.
Tehran said it was responding to a continued US blockade of Iranian ports, calling it a violation of their ceasefire, while Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran's navy was ready to inflict "new bitter defeats" on its enemies.
“Control over the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is now under strict management and control of the armed forces,” a spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said.
The US Central Command (CentCom) said it has forced 23 ships to turn around near the Strait of Hormuz since a naval blockade of Iranian ports was established.
In a post on X, CentCom says American forces are still enforcing the blockade, which began on 13 April.
The Iranian Supreme National Security Council also said that the ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, was among Tehran's basic conditions, but "the Zionist enemy violated that from the outset through its barbaric attacks on Lebanon and Hezbollah."
The Israeli occupation forces have continued to violate the ceasefire in Lebanon, carrying out detonations in several southern towns and continuing attacks in areas of southern Lebanon, despite the truce having entered into effect at midnight local time on 16 April.
Israel also announced Saturday the establishment of a "Yellow Line" demarcation in southern Lebanon, mirroring the occupation model used to partition Gaza and formally defining its occupied territory despite the ceasefire.
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