Two cargo vessels were attacked in the critically important Strait of Hormuz, officials stated Wednesday, after the U.S. prolonged the ceasefire while diplomats strive to unite the U.S. and Iran for peace discussions.
A ship reported being shot at approximately eight nautical miles from the Iranian coast, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, center indicated at 8:38 London time (3:38 a.m. ET), which also cautioned of “elevated levels of activity” within the Strait of Hormuz region.
The crew was noted to be safe and accounted for, as per the UKMTO, and the vessel suffered no damage.
This event followed an earlier account of an attack that occurred roughly 15 miles northeast of Oman at 5:47 a.m. London time.
The UKMTO reported that a container ship was approached by a gunboat from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC vessel was claimed to have fired upon the ship, inflicting “significant damage” to the bridge. All crew members were reported safe.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy later asserted that they had captured two vessels for what they described as maritime infringements and sent them to Iranian territory, according to state media.
The assaults occurred shortly after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would prolong the ceasefire with Iran to provide the leaders of Iran with an opportunity to present a “cohesive proposal” to conclude the conflict.
This transpired after reports indicated that Vice President JD Vance’s journey to Pakistan for a second round of peace discussions with Iranian officials had been deferred, and after the Iranian state media outlet Tasnim reported that Tehran’s negotiators would skip future discussions.
Oil prices rose following the announcement. International benchmark Brent crude futures for June delivery traded 1.5% higher at $99.97 per barrel, whereas U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for June delivery rose 1.4% to $90.93.
The Strait of Hormuz serves as a crucial maritime channel connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas typically transit through it.
Incidents involving commercial vessels in the Gulf in recent weeks have heightened concerns of a prolonged economic downturn.
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan and Kevin Breuninger both contributed to this article.
