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In one of at least two dozen incidents reported in and around the strategic waterway since the Iran war began, a cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz came under attack from multiple small boats on Sunday, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The northbound ship, which has not been identified, was targeted off the coast of Sirik in Iran, east of the strait. All crew members were reported safe following the incident.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. It was the first such attack reported in the area since April 22, when another cargo ship said it had been fired upon. The overall threat level in the region remains critical, with Tehran effectively restricting access to the strait through a combination of direct attacks and warnings.
Iranian authorities have repeatedly asserted control over the waterway, stating that vessels not linked to the United States or Israel may pass if they comply with certain conditions, including payment of tolls.
The attack comes as the broader conflict continues, even as a fragile three-week ceasefire appears to be holding. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that while the truce remains in place, further military action remains an option.
Iran has meanwhile put forward a fresh proposal to the United States aimed at resolving disputes within 30 days and ending the war rather than extending the ceasefire.
Iran’s latest proposal to the United States wants issues between them to be resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire, according to Iran’s state-linked media.
Trump on Saturday said he was reviewing the proposal but expressed doubt it would lead to a deal, adding on social media that “they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years” since the Islamic Revolution there.
Iran’s 14-point proposal also calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions on Iran, ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdrawing forces from the region and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran's security organizations.
There was no mention in those reports, however, of Iran's nuclear program and its enriched uranium, long the central issue in tensions with the U.S. and one that Tehran would rather address later.
Iran sent its reply via Pakistan, which hosted face-to-face talks last month between Iran and the United States.
Pakistan's prime minister, foreign minister and army chief continue to encourage the U.S. and Iran to speak directly, according to two officials in Pakistan who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who oversaw previous rounds of talks before the war.
Trump has offered a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where about a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas typically passes, along with fertilizer badly needed by farmers around the world.
Iran's grip on the strait, imposed after the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, has shaken global markets.
Tehran “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions," Iran’s deputy parliament speaker said Sunday. Ali Nikzad, who has no decision-making power in parliament, spoke while visiting port facilities on strategic Larak Island.
The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran in any form, including digital assets, to transit the strait safely.
Meanwhile, the U.S. naval blockade since April 13 is depriving Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy. The U.S. Central Command on Saturday said 48 commercial ships have been told to turn back.
“We think that they’ve gotten less than $1.3 million in tolls, which is a pittance on their previous daily oil revenues,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sunday. He said Iran's oil storage is rapidly filling up and "they’re going to have to start shutting in wells, which we think could happen in the next week.”
With inputs from agencies
The northbound ship, which has not been identified, was targeted off the coast of Sirik in Iran, east of the strait. All crew members were reported safe following the incident.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. It was the first such attack reported in the area since April 22, when another cargo ship said it had been fired upon. The overall threat level in the region remains critical, with Tehran effectively restricting access to the strait through a combination of direct attacks and warnings.
Iranian authorities have repeatedly asserted control over the waterway, stating that vessels not linked to the United States or Israel may pass if they comply with certain conditions, including payment of tolls.
Drone war, diplomacy and new proposal
The attack comes as the broader conflict continues, even as a fragile three-week ceasefire appears to be holding. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that while the truce remains in place, further military action remains an option.
Iran has meanwhile put forward a fresh proposal to the United States aimed at resolving disputes within 30 days and ending the war rather than extending the ceasefire.
Iran’s latest proposal to the United States wants issues between them to be resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire, according to Iran’s state-linked media.
Trump on Saturday said he was reviewing the proposal but expressed doubt it would lead to a deal, adding on social media that “they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years” since the Islamic Revolution there.
Iran’s 14-point proposal also calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions on Iran, ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdrawing forces from the region and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran's security organizations.
There was no mention in those reports, however, of Iran's nuclear program and its enriched uranium, long the central issue in tensions with the U.S. and one that Tehran would rather address later.
Iran sent its reply via Pakistan, which hosted face-to-face talks last month between Iran and the United States.
Pakistan's prime minister, foreign minister and army chief continue to encourage the U.S. and Iran to speak directly, according to two officials in Pakistan who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who oversaw previous rounds of talks before the war.
Iran stands firm on Strait of Hormuz
Trump has offered a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where about a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas typically passes, along with fertilizer badly needed by farmers around the world.
Iran's grip on the strait, imposed after the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, has shaken global markets.
Tehran “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions," Iran’s deputy parliament speaker said Sunday. Ali Nikzad, who has no decision-making power in parliament, spoke while visiting port facilities on strategic Larak Island.
The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran in any form, including digital assets, to transit the strait safely.
Meanwhile, the U.S. naval blockade since April 13 is depriving Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy. The U.S. Central Command on Saturday said 48 commercial ships have been told to turn back.
“We think that they’ve gotten less than $1.3 million in tolls, which is a pittance on their previous daily oil revenues,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sunday. He said Iran's oil storage is rapidly filling up and "they’re going to have to start shutting in wells, which we think could happen in the next week.”
With inputs from agencies
