Ship Is Hit in Strait of Hormuz as UAE Reports Missiles From Iran

A vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile” early Tuesday, damaging its engine room and causing one crew casualty, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said, according to Al Jazeera. The ship’s company security officer reported the strike, the Omani coastguard was assisting the remaining crew, and no environmental damage had been reported. Authorities were still investigating who or what was responsible.

Separately, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence said its air defences detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country, Gulf News reported. The first fell outside UAE territorial waters and the second inside them. The ministry said multiple threats were intercepted and that the country “remains on high alert and fully prepared to respond to any threats.” Residents in Dubai, where authorities reported unusual sounds linked to the interceptions, were told by mobile alert that the situation was safe.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, rejected the UAE’s account, saying it undermined efforts to build trust and prevent escalation, according to Time, citing the Fars news agency. Time also reported that the UAE announced it was halting trade and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, a step that appears in Time’s account alone and has not been independently confirmed here.

The incidents came a day after a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, meant to ease hostilities and reopen the waterway, expired on Monday, Al Jazeera reported. Iran has effectively closed the strait since the war began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched it. Daily crossings now run in the single digits, compared with more than 130 before the war, Al Jazeera said. Iran has said it wants to charge ships for passage. Oman and Iran are holding separate talks on future navigation arrangements.

The strait normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, according to Time, which is why the fighting matters for American drivers and markets as well as for the Gulf states. Time reported that President Trump said Tuesday that no talks with Iran are under way or scheduled, and that the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and ships remains in place.

Time added that Trump earlier this week threatened Oman, a U.S. ally and mediator, if it “gets in the way” of American efforts to gain effective international control of the strait. Oman and Iran have reportedly been working toward their own agreement to manage traffic.

UKMTO urged vessels in the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity.