ALBAWABA- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident involving an oil tanker and military forces in waters around the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman on Monday, as renewed US-Iran hostilities heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The latest alert comes after several maritime incidents reported in late August involving tankers hit by unidentified projectiles in the region. Some vessels caught fire, while others sustained engine-room damage and reported crew casualties. The incidents have so far not resulted in major reported environmental pollution, while investigations into the attacks continue.
The Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean, remains a critical global shipping chokepoint through which a substantial share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passes. Any sustained disruption could therefore have significant consequences for global energy markets and maritime trade.
The latest maritime warning followed a renewed escalation between Washington and Tehran. On Sunday, US forces carried out their first publicly acknowledged strikes on Iranian territory in nearly a month, targeting two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command.
US officials said the launchers were being prepared by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the waterway. Washington said the operation was intended to prevent an imminent threat to commercial shipping, particularly following US efforts to clear mines from international maritime routes.
Iranian reports said several personnel were killed and others wounded in the strikes. US President Donald Trump subsequently indicated that further military action could follow, saying Washington’s operations were aimed at protecting civilian mariners and maintaining the free flow of international commerce.
The strikes ended a period of relative calm in direct US-Iran military exchanges, during which Washington had increasingly relied on sanctions, economic pressure and measures targeting Iranian-linked shipping while asserting that it had made progress in restricting Tehran’s ability to control or disrupt the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran responded early Monday with attacks on US-linked military facilities in the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had launched ballistic missiles at King Hussein Air Base and Al-Azraq, also known as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, in Jordan, saying the targets included technical, maintenance and fighter-aircraft infrastructure.
Jordan’s military said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed eight incoming missiles before they could reach populated areas or critical infrastructure. It reported no casualties or material damage.
Iran also launched dozens of drones toward Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where US personnel and support operations are based. UAE authorities said at least one drone approaching over territorial waters was intercepted, with no casualties or significant damage reported.
Iran additionally claimed that its forces had shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran described the attacks as an act of self-defense under the UN Charter in response to the US strikes on Larak Island and condemned the American operation as a violation of Iranian sovereignty.
The renewed confrontation has heightened concerns for commercial vessels operating across the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Repeated UKMTO alerts have highlighted the growing risks faced by tankers and other commercial ships as military activity increasingly overlaps with one of the world’s busiest maritime energy routes.
