Iran fires missiles at 2 merchant ships near Strait of Hormuz during Khamenei funeral

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at two merchant ships navigating near the Strait of Hormuz during the funeral period of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a senior US official, reported Tuesday that the missile strike occurred that morning about 15 kilometers east of Oman's Lima point.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a tanker traveling southward was struck on its port side by an unidentified projectile, sparking a fire. No casualties or environmental pollution from an oil spill were reported.

The UKMTO did not disclose details about the tanker, but the Journal identified the vessel as the Al Rekayat, an LNG carrier believed to be owned by a shipping affiliate of Qatar's state-run liquefied natural gas industry.

Iran had pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for 60 days while follow-on negotiations under a ceasefire memorandum of understanding with the United States proceeded. The IRGC's attack, however, signals the corps' readiness to assert control over the waterway at any time.

The IRGC has recently threatened merchant ships, warning them not to use the route near the Omani coast designated by US forces, while also criticizing negotiations with Washington. The strait's central channel has been rendered impassable by Iranian mines, forcing merchant vessels to choose between an Iranian-side route and an Omani-side route. As a significant number of ships opted for the US-designated Omani route, the IRGC apparently concluded that its grip on the strait was weakening and moved to reassert it.

The attack came on the fourth day of funeral proceedings for the former supreme leader. It can also be seen as a show of force by hardliners within Iran who have been using Khamenei's funeral as an occasion to rally domestic unity and nationalist sentiment.

In a recording obtained by the Journal, the IRGC recently warned ships over maritime radio: "Our missiles and drones are ready to launch at any time."