UK Maritime Trade Operations Reports Incident in Strait of Hormuz—Reuters

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday it had received a report of an incident in the Strait of Hormuz, involving merchant vessels coming under unidentified attacks in the area.

**Incident Overview and Vessel Damage**

According to reports, a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khasab, Oman, sustaining minor structural damage and continuing to its next port of call. Another tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile, believed to have also suffered structural damage. A third tanker, sailing near the Omani coast off Lima, also became a target of an unidentified projectile and caught fire, with the projectile striking its port side while the vessel was navigating south of the strait. None of the three incidents resulted in casualties, and no environmental impact was reported.

**Affected Area and Navigation Advisory**

Based on a map released by UKMTO, all three attacks appeared to occur in the southern shipping lane of the strait, managed by Oman. UKMTO has advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity. A spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed that one of the attacked tankers, the "Al-Rayyiat," was Qatari-owned, and Doha condemned the attacks, calling them "an unacceptable assault on the safety and security of international maritime navigation and the security of global energy supplies."

**Geopolitical Context and Transit Fee Dispute**

Amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the key points of divergence between Tehran and Washington involves Iran's alleged threat to impose fees on vessels transiting the strait. Reuters previously reported, citing an Iranian official, that Tehran was seeking to charge vessels passing through Iran 5% to 7% of cargo value as a fee. The U.S. side downplayed such reports, stating that "the Iranians have told us they have no plans to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz." The attacks on merchant vessels have further heightened market concerns over the security of this critical energy chokepoint.