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A container ship sustained heavy damage after coming under Iranian fire about 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s coast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Wednesday.
The agency stated that the vessel had detected the approach of an Iranian military boat before the encounter, adding that gunfire struck the ship’s bridge.
Citing unnamed sources, Iran’s Tasnim News indicated that Iranian armed forces engaged the vessel after it ignored warnings. No immediate details were available on possible casualties or the condition of the crew.
The incident comes amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington and Tehran exchanging accusations of ceasefire violations. US President Donald Trump asserted that US naval forces had already intercepted several Iranian-flagged cargo vessels in the Gulf of Oman after they attempted to breach the naval blockade imposed on Iran since April 13.
Maritime analytics firm Vortexa noted, however, that at least 34 oil tankers linked to Tehran have bypassed the blockade. Nineteen tankers departed the Gulf, while 15 others entered from the Arabian Sea toward Iran. Among the vessels leaving the region, six were carrying a combined 10.7 million barrels of Iranian crude, valued at nearly $910 million.
Vortexa further disclosed that the shipments were moved using a range of evasion methods, including disabling vessel identification systems. It pointed to the case of the large tanker Dorena, observed sailing with its tracking transponder turned off and conducting ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Malaysia.
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