Petrol tanker hit in Strait of Hormuz amid renewed US-Iran strikes

A petrol tanker reported being hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. The attack took place as the United States and Iran exchanged fresh strikes, marking the most serious escalation since the two sides signed a preliminary peace agreement two weeks ago.

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The article says the warring sides accused each other of violating the agreement reached to end a conflict that had lasted four months. Washington said it struck Iranian targets during the early hours of Saturday.

Iran said it attacked targets linked to US forces on Saturday in response. UKMTO said the tanker suffered damage to its bridge.

It also said the entire crew was safe. The report did not identify the vessel by name or provide any further details on the weapon used in the strike.

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The Joint Maritime Information Center, which is run by a coalition of navies protecting shipping, said it had raised the security threat level because of the recent incidents. The source links the attack on the tanker to renewed concern over the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The tanker incident followed another attack on a cargo ship on Thursday, which the text says triggered the latest escalation. The source says Iran made a new attempt to assert control over the world's most important energy shipping route, which had begun reopening over the previous two weeks after months of interruption.

The Iranian government did not directly comment on the reported attacks on specific vessels. State television in Iran said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had fired "warning shots" at unspecified vessels trying to pass through channels not approved by Iran.

According to the same report, that threat was causing other ships to request Iranian permission before attempting to cross the Strait. The text also says Iran's foreign ministry described earlier attacks as "defensive" strikes against military targets linked to the United States.

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Bahrain, which hosts the regional headquarters of the US Navy, reported a drone attack attributed to Iran. The US armed forces did not immediately respond to the reports.

Separately, US Vice President JD Vance said the United States had respected the ceasefire agreement and that Iran would be responsible for any renewed conflict caused by its actions. He wrote on X that "violence will be responded with violence." The article also connects the escalation to related violence in Lebanon.

It says Israel and Lebanon had repeatedly agreed to US-mediated ceasefires, with the latest announced on Friday, but that the arrangements had had only limited overall impact. The Lebanese state television reported an Israeli drone strike on Saturday in the Nabatiyeh area in the south, while Israel said it had struck a person it considered a threat to its forces.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the agreement as a surrender and said it was "null and void."

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