Tanker struck by projectile off Oman coast
A tanker traveling near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz caught fire early Tuesday after being hit by a projectile, the British military reported. The vessel was struck on its port side while attempting to navigate south out of the strait toward the Gulf of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre. No environmental damage was reported, and an investigation is underway.
Suspicion falls on Iran amid heightened tensions
Suspicion for the attack immediately fell on Iran, which has been accused of targeting other vessels using a route close to the Omani shore. The incident comes as Iran mourns the death of its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. Mourners at his funeral have reportedly called for the death of US President Donald Trump.
Iran’s joint military command issued a warning last Thursday that all oil tankers must use approved routes through the strait. The statement declared that any deviation from designated routes or disregard for navigation protocols would be met with an immediate and forceful response. It also warned that interference by US forces would prompt a rapid and decisive reaction.
Strait of Hormuz: a critical chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded globally once passed during peacetime. The US and Gulf Arab states have rejected Iran’s demand to charge fees for passage, which upends decades of practice. An interim deal between Iran and the US allowed ships to pass without charges for 60 days, but Tehran insists on controlling routes and imposing fees.
Efforts by Oman and a United Nations agency to establish a new route near Oman’s shore have previously sparked attacks across the Middle East, underscoring the volatile situation. According to data firm Kpler, at least 108 ships crossed through the strait using various routes over the past weekend.
Khamenei funeral draws massive crowds
Iranian state television broadcast live images of hundreds of thousands of mourners walking toward Jamkaran Mosque in Qom for a funeral service for Khamenei. The mosque holds religious significance for Shiites, who believe it once hosted Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shiite imam. Banners and posters displayed images of Khamenei and his son, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly and is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father.
Authorities have shut down streets, airspace, and daily life for the mourning period, which began Saturday and will end Thursday when Khamenei is buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace. Khamenei was 86.
US-Iran talks on hold
Negotiations between Iran and the US aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran’s nuclear program, and reaching a permanent end to the war launched on February 28 are reportedly on hold until after Khamenei’s burial. Previous attacks in the strait have led to retaliatory US strikes, which in turn provoked Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states, raising the risk of further escalation.
