On Monday (July 6) night, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at least two missiles at commercial ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. Axios reported this information citing two US officials.
The report quoted a US official as saying that two commercial vessels were significantly damaged but there were no casualties.
The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) said early on Tuesday that a tanker caught fire on the left side of a tanker about 15 km east of Lima, Oman, when it was struck by an unknown object; However, no casualty or environmental damage was reported.
The attack came despite a 60-day ceasefire intended to allow for diplomacy after the conflict sparked by the US-Israeli attack. Meanwhile, the incident comes after indirect US-Iran talks ended last week without any visible signs of progress towards a lasting peace.
President Donald Trump reiterated his stance on Monday that the United States will either reach a deal with Iran or “get the job done” in the wake of resistance in Tehran following the funeral of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
“Our missiles and drones are ready to attack you,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned ships over marine radio, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing a recording it obtained.
One of the ships attacked was the Al Reqayat, a liquefied natural gas tanker owned and operated by Nakilat, the shipping arm of Qatar’s LNG industry, the Wall Street Journal reported. The newspaper also reported that the upper part of the engine room on the left side of the vessel was hit.
‘The engine room was on fire and engulfed in smoke. Further damage cannot be ascertained. All sailors are safe and mustered on the starboard side of the ship’. A recording was quoted by the Wall Street Journal.
TimesBD/ rabbi
