Iran fires missiles at commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz, Axios reports
Written by: Enas Alashray and Mrinmay Dey
July 6 (Reuters) – Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired at least two missiles at commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.
The report, based on a US official, stated that two commercial ships suffered significant damage, but there was no loss of life.
Separately, Britain’s maritime safety agency said a tanker caught fire after being hit by an unknown shell east of Limah, Oman, in the early hours of Tuesday.
The tanker was heading south about 8 nautical miles (15 km) east of Limah when it was struck on the port side, causing a fire, the United Kingdom’s Merchant Marine Operations agency (UKMTO) said in a statement early Tuesday. No loss of life or environmental impact was reported.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the Axios report or determine whether the ships described in the report included the tanker named in the UKMTO recommendation.
U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The reports have highlighted the risks of shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about a fifth of global oil consumption passes. During the war that started with the US-Israel attack on Iran, commercial ships were attacked despite the temporary agreement containing safe passage provisions.
Despite a 60-day ceasefire aimed at creating space for diplomacy after U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered the conflict, indirect U.S.-Iran talks ended last week without any public signs of progress toward a lasting peace.
President Donald Trump renewed the threat of military action on Monday, saying the United States would either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job” at a time when Tehran plans to defy former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the funeral.
‘WE ARE READY TO SHOOT AT YOU’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned ships via maritime radio over the weekend that “our missiles and drones are ready to fire on you,” the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing a recording it obtained.
One of the ships under attack was the liquefied natural gas tanker Al Rekayyat, owned and managed by Nakilat, also known as Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd, which operates one of the world’s largest LNG shipping fleets, the WSJ said, adding that the ship was hit on the port side, above the engine room.
“The engine room is on fire and filled with smoke. No further damage can be detected. All crew are safe and gathered on the starboard side,” WSJ quoted a recording as saying.
The ship was at the mouth of the strait in the Gulf of Oman when it was attacked, WSJ reported.
Nakilat, QatarEnergy and Qatar International Media Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside normal business hours.
While investors follow the recovery in Gulf oil exports, they also closely follow the negotiations between the USA and Iran regarding the fate of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward, Costas Pitas, Mrinmay Dey and Enas Alashray; Editing by Christian Martinez, Lincoln Feast and Jamie Freed)
