Iran reported fires aboard three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, while the US military said it had disabled a commercial vessel attempting to breach its blockade in the Gulf of Oman, according to a Reuters report published by gCaptain. The incidents came amid continuing restrictions on energy and other commodity exports through the region.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said two oil tankers struck mines and caught fire while using a route it described as unauthorised through the strait. The semi-official Fars news agency subsequently reported an explosion and fire aboard a third tanker. The report did not identify the tankers or specify their cargoes, leaving their involvement in clean petroleum products trades unclear.
The US military said its air force fired at the stern of a commercial vessel on Saturday evening, disabling it as it sought to pass through the blockade. Separately, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported an incident involving a bulk carrier and military forces about 18 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates. Damage was unknown, and the report did not establish whether this was the same incident as the US strike.
Explosions were also heard in southern Iran, including on Qeshm Island. Iranian state television said officials had not confirmed missile attacks on Iranian territory and suggested the blasts could stem from Iranian military activity. Tasnim news agency nevertheless reported that two missiles had hit Qeshm, without official damage information. Neither Washington nor Tehran had commented on that account.
According to the report carried by gCaptain, Tehran has targeted shipping in Hormuz to obstruct Gulf energy exports since US and Israeli attacks began in February. US forces started blockading traffic to and from Iranian ports in April. On Saturday, the US military also announced a task force aimed at stopping advanced weapons and other sanctioned material reaching Iran through land borders and the Caspian Sea.
Diplomatic efforts continued alongside the shipping incidents. Qatar denied reports that US-Iran negotiations had failed, saying both sides remained engaged in seeking an agreement. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Washington was reviewing a nuclear proposal submitted through Qatar, but Tehran wanted seven demands addressed first, including sanctions relief, access to frozen assets and war reparations.