IRGC claims to have struck tanker during attempted Hormuz crossing

Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on Friday that they had attacked an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the state news agency IRNA. Simultaneously, a British maritime agency reported a separate attack on a vessel in the same area. Iran has long held control over the strategic waterway as the United States enforces its counterblockade of Iranian ports during the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The Islamic republic aims to charge ships for passage, targeting those it believes are attempting to bypass the designated route.

An Iranian-flagged oil tanker named the Trend was the target of the attack, which occurred late on Thursday. The statement attributed to Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed that the vessel was detained following a fire that broke out onboard, describing it as an attempt to engage in unauthorized navigation. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a ship was struck by an unidentified projectile, resulting in a fire that was successfully extinguished.

As of early Friday, it remained uncertain whether the reports from the IRGC and UKMTO were referring to the same incident.