A commercial vessel was hit by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, injuring a crew member as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate over control of the strategic waterway.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported the strike caused damage to the engine room, with the Omani Coast Guard assisting the remaining crew members.
Iran has imposed what amounts to a blockade of the strait, regularly attacking commercial ships while seeking to charge users for passage through the waterway. The US has strongly opposed these measures.
Diplomatic threats and ongoing talks
US President Donald Trump threatened military action against Oman if the Gulf state interfered with American negotiations with Tehran over the strait.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News on Monday, referring to separate talks taking place between Oman and Iran on maritime control.
Tehran and Muscat have been negotiating for weeks on future navigation arrangements through the shipping route. Iran’s foreign ministry said the two countries were working on a joint declaration.
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner described US-Iran conversations as “very positive and active”, though he acknowledged a deep trust deficit between the nations.
Kushner told Fox News that Trump would not rush into an agreement. “He’ll make the right deal when the right deal is ready,” he said.
The president reiterated his core demand that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons, while noting Iranian officials want a deal but not one he considers acceptable.
Attacks across the region
An explosion at a petroleum products depot in eastern Iraqi Kurdistan injured 18 people on Tuesday, according to Kurdish media outlet Rudaw. Hirsh Salim, deputy director general of health in Sulaimaniyah governorate, confirmed no fatalities occurred but did not specify the cause of the blast.
Iraq’s federal government announced it would investigate an attack on the office of Kurdistan region’s prime minister, which regional authorities attributed to Iran.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said the region’s counter-terrorism unit found his personal office and the home of the Security and Intelligence Agency head were targeted by Iranian drone attacks. No casualties were reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack and urged Iran’s “Kurdish friends” to be “vigilant against false flags”.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced they had targeted a Saudi military vessel and four patrol boats in the Red Sea off Mokha’s coast using ballistic missiles. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the strikes were part of their maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have fought Saudi Arabia since its intervention in Yemen’s civil war in 2015. A ceasefire that held since 2022 collapsed last month as the conflict expanded across the Middle East.
ALSO READ: Iran says it manages Hormuz Strait after Trump claims US control
Questions over diplomatic timeline
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said a 60-day deadline for negotiations included in June’s memorandum of understanding no longer applied because the US had violated the agreement weeks after signing.
“We did not begin any negotiations because, a few weeks after the signing, widespread violations of the agreement began, thereby rendering the 60-day provision irrelevant,” he said.
UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed alarm at the rising civilian casualties from escalating hostilities in Yemen, calling on all parties to reduce tensions.
“The Yemeni people have already suffered way too much from the devastating legacy of years of conflict, displacement and humanitarian crisis,” Turk said.
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