Iran Struck Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz, US Official Says – The Epoch Times

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz (AP Photo)

Iranian forces attacked a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on June 24, according to a U.S. official who spoke with The Epoch Times.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) previously reported that a vessel was struck by “an unknown projectile” while operating off the coast of Oman, but did not attribute the attack to any particular nation-state or actor. The UKMTO, which is operated by the British Royal Navy, said the projectile damaged the bridge of the vessel but reported no injuries or environmental impact as a result of the attack.

When reached for comment about the attack, a U.S. official said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a drone at the vessel in question.

The incident occurred after Iran and the United States entered into a memorandum of understanding that included an end to hostilities and open access to commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

In statements shared by state-run media on Thursday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps did say vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz must only use routes officially designated by Iran. The Iranian military arm said it was prompted to issue this advisory in response to reports that a new shipping lane was launched without prior consultation with Tehran.

While Iranian authorities have yet to claim responsibility for the attack on the cargo vessel on Thursday, Iran’s state-run PressTV has acknowledged the incident.

On Thursday, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority—an office recently established to regulate transit through the Strait of Hormuz and its adjoining waterways—said, “The consequences arising from passage through unauthorized routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander.”

The Strait of Hormuz has become a key focal point for the recent armed standoff between the United States and Iran. After U.S. and Israeli forces launched attacks against the Islamic regime on Feb. 28, Iranian forces moved to close off access to the critical waterway, which facilitates about 20 percent of global petrochemical exports.

The memorandum of understanding enacted by Washington and Tehran on June 17 states that Iran will facilitate “the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa.” Under the deal, Iranian leadership further committed to removing mines and other military obstacles from the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days of the start of the deal.

How transit through the strait will be administered in the long-term is the subject of further negotiations.

The June 17 memorandum states Iran will consult with Oman—which sits on the opposite side of the maritime chokepoint—to “define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states, in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.”

President Donald Trump, in a June 24 post on Truth Social, said Iranian authorities assured him they are not seeking to impose tolls or otherwise extract payment from those seeking to transit the strait.

“If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!” Trump added.