Tensions persist in Strait of Hormuz as oil tankers hit, halted for second day

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, have stretched into a second day as oil tankers came under attack and halted operations following the resumption of armed conflict between the United States and Iran within a month.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Tuesday (local time), an oil tanker transiting out of the Strait of Hormuz was struck by projectiles of unknown origin.

The tanker was hit by three projectiles in waters approximately 17 nautical miles east of the Omani coastal city of Khasab. No casualties have been reported, and the vessel's nationality and direction of travel have not been disclosed.

Also on Tuesday, a Saudi Arabian oil tanker reportedly stopped while passing through the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi government has yet to issue an official statement.

The UKMTO said it had also received a report on Monday of an incident in the Indian Ocean involving an oil tanker and military personnel. Any connection to the current incidents and the specific circumstances remain unconfirmed.

Analysts say Iran, which in effect controls the Strait of Hormuz, is escalating pressure on tanker traffic in response to additional US economic sanctions and the resumption of military strikes.

Earlier, US forces struck two IRGC rocket-launcher sites used for mine-laying on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. It was the first US military strike against Iran in about a month.

Iran responded by announcing it had fired multiple missiles toward Jordan and the UAE, both of which host US military bases, in the early hours of Monday.

Iran also said a very large crude carrier passing through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by two mines and caught fire, and that the vessel has been completely halted.

The IRGC Navy warned that "any vessel that violates the rules for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will face exactly this fate," adding that compliance with the IRGC Navy's published regulations for transit and navigation through the strait "is mandatory."

No further direct exchanges between US and Iranian forces had been reported as of early Tuesday, but Iran's use of its control over the Strait of Hormuz to pressure Washington and the international community makes tensions around the waterway likely to persist for now.

The United States, however, has denied Iran's claim that the tanker struck mines, dismissing the assertion as false.