In the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian security forces opened fire on two commercial vessels passing through this vital maritime route. The incident occurred after Iranian authorities announced the reclosure of the strait to shipping. Currently, information regarding the condition of the vessels and the fate of their crews remains unknown.
This is reported by Finway
Details of the Attack and Government Response
The fact of the attack has been confirmed by three experts in maritime security and shipping. It is known that some commercial vessels received radio warnings from the Iranian Navy about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Representatives of UKMTO also confirmed the attack, and relevant photos have been made publicly available.
“Earlier, maritime trackers recorded a convoy of eight tankers passing through the strait — this was the first significant movement of vessels since the American-Israeli war against Iran began seven weeks ago.”
Media reports indicate that Iran’s leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, recently stated the fleet’s readiness to inflict new ‘bitter defeats’ on the country’s enemies. There have been no official comments from Iranian authorities regarding the shelling so far, but the closure of the shipping route has been confirmed.
The Situation Around the Strait of Hormuz
On April 17, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the resumption of vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, made possible after a temporary ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized that the American side would continue the blockade of Iranian seaports until a complete peace agreement is reached between the conflicting parties.
In response to these statements, Tehran accused the U.S. president of lying. The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, emphasized that such rhetoric “will not help achieve success” either on the battlefield or during negotiations.