A tanker was fired upon and a containership struck in the Strait of Hormuz, just after Iran and Trump declared it open, reports Seatrade Maritime News.
Less than 24 hours after Iran and US President Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz open, a tanker was fired upon and a containership was struck, reported UK's Seatrade Maritime News.
The UKMTO stated that the incident occurred 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman when two IRGC gunboats approached a tanker and opened fire without issuing a radio challenge. Fortunately, the vessel and crew were reported safe.
A containership was also hit by an unknown projectile 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman, damaging containers but causing no fire or pollution. Separately, a cruise ship reported a projectile splash close to its hull.
Industry sources indicated that the tanker was likely the Indian-flagged VLCC Sanmar Herald, which had changed its AIS name. A recording circulating in the sector captured a crew member stating that clearance had been given before the vessel was fired upon.
Iranian armed forces later announced that the strait had returned to its 'previous state' under strict military control, citing the US failure to lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
Four CMA CGM containerships—Galapagos, Manaus, Everglades, and Diamond—attempted transits but all turned back to the Arabian Gulf.
