A vessel has been reported on fire off Oman's Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz amid reports that it was struck by an Iranian cruise missile,
according to Iran's Mehr News Agency. Footage circulating online appears to show a vessel burning in the waters off Oman. However, the identity and flag of the vessel and whether anyone was injured remain unknown. Iranian state news agency Mehr reported that "some sources have reported a fire on a vessel on the Musandam Peninsula [off the coast of Oman] near the Strait of Hormuz". Other Iranian state media outlets have also reported the incident. There has been no official confirmation from Iran that it launched an attack on the vessel. Open-source researcher and regional observers said vessels using the Omani route had faced near-daily attacks for 10 days without a US military response. Another researcher highlighted the timing of the reported incident, which came about 30 minutes before oil trading was due to open, writing: "I see Iran has learned the game."
⭕️🚢 DEVELOPING: Footage circulating online appears to show a vessel burning off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz, following unconfirmed reports that another tanker was struck by a cruise missile.
➤ Open-source researcher and regional observer @bonzerbarry… https://t.co/WUwOSSLMoN pic.twitter.com/NBROShq3nD— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) August 9, 2026
UAE Vessel Targeted Day Earlier
The reported incident comes a day after the United Arab Emirates condemned what it described as an Iranian attack on a vessel linked to its state oil company as it travelled through the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE accused Iran of "acts of piracy".
State news agency WAM initially reported that ADNOC said one of its vessels had been targeted by a missile early on Saturday and that the situation was under control.
ADNOC said on Friday that it had been significantly affected by what it described as unprovoked attacks on its personnel and assets, while continuing to meet customer requirements in an "exceptionally challenging environment".
The company said 15 of its vessels had been attacked by missiles and drones while travelling through the strait since the start of the conflict. It said three of those attacks had taken place during the past week, killing one crew member and injuring 20 others.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have previously threatened to take action against vessels travelling through the strait if they are linked to Tehran's adversaries or fail to comply with Iranian directives.
Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Will Not Reopen Yet
The latest reported incident comes as Iran has issued new demands over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy routes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran was not currently holding direct talks with the US to end the war and reopen the waterway.
He said, however, that "messages are being exchanged through intermediaries", according to Mehr. Araghchi also said that any agreement with Oman over navigation would not automatically lead to the reopening of the strait. "Talks with Oman do not mean the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened. An agreement may be reached, but reopening the strait depends on other conditions conveyed through intermediaries," he was quoted as saying.
Oman has played a key role as an intermediary between Iran and other parties, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is a crucial global shipping route, carrying about a fifth of the world's energy supplies. Araghchi said on Saturday that Iran and Oman were close to an agreement on navigation, specifically over the "determination of a transit route".
Iran Sets Out Demands
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US "corrects its behavior". The council's secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who is also a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard, outlined a series of demands in a statement published by Iranian state broadcaster.
Iran said the US must never threaten it again and must permanently end military action against Iran and its armed allies in the region.
It also demanded that Washington lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw its military forces from the region.
The statement further called for the US to "completely compensate" Iran for war damage, lift sanctions and "unconditionally" release Iranian assets frozen abroad.
US Says Negotiations Continuing
Despite Iran's insistence that there are no direct talks, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington was continuing to engage with Tehran. In an interview with Axios, Trump said the US was "low keying it" in its approach to negotiations. "We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," he said. "It will work out. It always works out. It's like a chess game."
A brief pause in fighting after a 17 June memorandum of understanding has been followed by weeks of Iranian missile and drone attacks on shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz and neighbouring Gulf states, alongside US counterstrikes against Iranian targets.
The latest reported tanker fire comes as efforts to establish a safe route through the strait face renewed uncertainty.
