Fresh ship struck in Hormuz as Iran, US trade attacks in worst escalation since peace deal
Jana Choukeir and Eman Abouhassira
DUBAI, June 27 (Reuters) – A tanker was reportedly hit by a bullet in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain’s Maritime Safety Agency said, in the worst attack since the United States and Iran signed an interim peace deal.
Each warring side accused the other of violating an agreement they reached two weeks ago to end the four-month conflict. Washington said it struck Iranian targets overnight, while Iran responded by striking targets affiliated with US forces on Saturday.
The attack on a tanker in the Bosphorus on Saturday followed the attack on a cargo ship on Thursday, which triggered tensions. Iran has made a new attempt to gain control over the world’s most important energy transportation route, which started to reopen in the last two weeks after months of disruption.
Britain’s UKMTO maritime safety agency reported that the bridge of the tanker that was hit on Saturday was damaged and that all crew members were safe. The Joint Maritime Information Centre, run by a coalition of navies that protect shipping, said the level of security threats had increased as a result of recent events.
Iran did not comment directly on reports of specific attacks on ships. However, Iranian state television reported that the Revolutionary Guard fired “warning shots” at unspecified ships trying to pass through channels not approved by Iran, prompting other ships to now seek permission from Iran before trying to cross the strait.
Earlier, Iran’s foreign ministry said it had launched “defensive” strikes on US-linked military targets, while Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s regional headquarters, said Iran had launched an attack using a drone. The US military did not immediately respond to the reports.
IRAN CHECKED THE CONTROL OF THE VITAL STRAIT
Iran accused the United States of not maintaining the promised ceasefire and interim agreement, especially in Lebanon, which US ally Israel invaded in March in pursuit of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Israel and Lebanon have repeatedly agreed to US-brokered ceasefire agreements, the latest of which was announced on Friday. However, their overall impact so far has been limited; Israel has insisted it will not withdraw from part of the territory it has captured, and Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected calls to lay down its arms as long as Israeli troops remain in place.
Lebanese state television reported an Israeli drone strike on Saturday in the southern Nabatiyeh region, which has seen Israeli attacks throughout the conflict.
Mohsen Rezai, an advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, said the United States violated the memorandum of understanding that ended the war by supporting what he called proxy forces in the region and creating tension in the Strait of Hormuz.
Throughout the war, Iran responded to US attacks by striking neighboring Gulf states that host major US military bases. Iranian state television said the Revolutionary Guard gave a “decisive reaction” after US forces hit a communications tower in the port city of Sirik. Iran’s Mehr news agency said the Iranian port was operating normally and no damage to facilities or equipment was reported.
Bahrain said Iran’s latest attacks violated the memorandum of understanding.
Since the start of the war, hundreds of ships, including tankers loaded with oil, have been blockaded in the Gulf. Oil prices, which have begun to leave the Bosphorus in the last two weeks, have approached pre-war levels due to increased supply.
But fully resolving the global energy crisis will require resuming two-way traffic across the strait at pre-war levels, and this will likely only be possible if shippers deem it safe to do so.
While Washington is promoting a southern route along the Omani coast, Tehran, which ultimately aims to charge for use of the strait, wants ships to use the northern route through its waters and under its control.
Ibrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s parliament’s national security committee, said on Saturday that any violation of Iran’s shipping instructions would be dealt with decisively.
VANCE: ‘VIOLENCE WILL BE MEETED WITH VIOLENCE’
US Vice President J.D. Vance, President Donald Trump’s chief negotiator on the conflict, said the Americans were adhering to the ceasefire agreement and that Iran was responsible for any return to conflict that might result from their actions.
Vance said in his statement to
As has often happened throughout the war, the escalation occurred over the weekend when markets were closed, giving the sides two days to stake out difficult positions and exchange fire without causing a spike in oil prices.
In past cases, including the last two weekends, bitter words on Friday and Saturday were followed by more ameliorative positions from both sides as markets reopened on Monday.
Before the renewed violence, oil prices fell nearly 3% on Friday and were heading for a steep weekly decline.
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Daniel Trotta and William Mallard; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Chris Reese, Alexander Smith and Andrew Heavens)
