A cargo vessel was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Tuesday, underscoring persistent navigation risks in the waterway.
The incident damaged the vessel’s engine room and caused a crew casualty. The remaining crew were being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, the agency said.
The reported strike came after Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari repeated threats over access to the strait. Fox News reported that he said vessels attempting passage would “find several beautiful holes in their hulls.”
Washington and Tehran have rejected further talks after their 60-day negotiating ceasefire expired on Monday without a formal follow-on agreement.
US President Donald Trump ruled out extending the ceasefire, saying Iran would not accept terms he considered necessary to end the war.
“They’re not going to make the kind of deal that I feel is necessary,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
Eurasia Group said neither side saw an urgent need to make concessions and that both were likely to settle into a longer standoff. The risk consultancy no longer expects a peace deal by September and has pushed its timeline for de-escalation to the end of the year.
Its analysts said the most likely outcome was a limited agreement that would allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to partially recover.
The waterway, which handled about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and gas before the war, has become a central flashpoint between the US and Iran. Shipping remains near a standstill amid sporadic attacks on oil tankers.
Only three vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to Kpler data.
Oil prices rose after the 60-day window closed without a breakthrough. US crude futures were up 0.25% at $84.70 per barrel on Tuesday, while Brent crude traded at $90.86 per barrel after rising above $90 on Monday.
