An Iranian-flagged commercial vessel was struck early on September 13 in the Strait of Hormuz off the coasts of Hengam and Qeshm islands, leaving one crew member dead and three others injured from its ten-person crew. Pre-dawn explosions rocked the waters around Qeshm before the ship was hit. The governor of Qeshm blamed a “terrorist enemy” for the strike without identifying a specific country or group, and authorities stated the type of projectile used has not yet been determined. No group claimed responsibility, and an investigation is under way.
This attack follows recent claims by Iranian forces of separate strikes on a US unmanned vessel in the strait and ships off the coast of Oman. The Strait of Hormuz has been the central flashpoint in the six-month conflict between Iran and the United States that began in February, during which Iran has periodically restricted or closed the waterway in retaliation for American and Israeli strikes. International shipping insurers and oil traders are closely tracking the incidents, which have raised freight and insurance costs, while vessels increasingly reroute or go dark and regional producers rely on alternative export routes and ship-to-ship transfers.