The IRGC, citing state news agency IRNA, said the tanker was targeted and detained after a fire broke out on board late Thursday, describing the incident as an attempted “illegal passage” through the strategic strait.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that a ship was hit by an unidentified projectile early Friday, causing a blaze that was subsequently extinguished, and also logged a “security incident” in Hormuz later on Thursday, though it did not specify whether the two reports refer to the same event.
Iran has long asserted a de‑facto stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, demanding fees for vessels that transit the narrow passage and threatening ships it accuses of trying to bypass its preferred routes.
Washington, meanwhile, continues to press a counter‑blockade of Iranian ports as part of its broader campaign in the Middle East conflict, heightening the risk of further maritime confrontations in the region.
The lack of clarity over whether the IRGC’s claim and the UKMTO’s report describe a single incident leaves shipping companies and regional observers uncertain about the scale of the threat and the potential for escalation.