One person was killed and three others injured after a ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to local Iranian authorities, as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue over the strategic waterway.
The vessel was hit around 5:00 am (0130 GMT) off the coasts of Hengam and Qeshm islands, Qeshm city governor Amir Teymouri said, according to state television. He did not specify the source of the strike.
“A merchant vessel was struck around 5:00 am (0130 GMT) this morning off the coasts of Hengam and Qeshm islands. One person was killed, and three others were injured,” Teymouri said.
Several explosions were reported overnight in the vicinity of Qeshm, the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident occurred a day
before Iran and Gulf states were due to meet in Oman, which also borders the strait, to discuss the blockaded waterway that is crucial to global oil and gas trade.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a key flashpoint in the six-month conflict between Iran and the United States.
Iran blocked the waterway in retaliation for attacks by the United States and Israel that began the war on February 28. Before the conflict, the passage had remained free and unobstructed.
Tehran now requires vessels to secure authorisation before passing through the strait, citing security and sovereignty concerns. It is also considering a mechanism to impose service fees.
Vessels that do not comply are frequently targeted by Iranian strikes, while the United States has intermittently bombed the Iranian coast in an effort to challenge Tehran’s control over the waterway.
(With inputs from AFP)
