At least two container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz this Wednesday (22), according to UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations). The attacks occurred after the US announced the extension of the ceasefire.
The UKMTO said it received the first report of a case 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The ship reported that it was boarded by an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) speedboat and then fired upon, sustaining severe damage to the bridge. All crew members were found safe.
A second case was reported 8 nautical miles west of Iran, where the captain of a cargo ship heading abroad reported being shot and that he “is now stuck in the water.” The crew is safe and there was no damage to the vessel, according to the UKMTO.
“UKMTO is aware of the high levels of activity in the Himachal Pradesh Straits area and encourages vessels to report any suspicious activity,” the maritime agency said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had previously stated that it would close the strait until the US blockade was lifted.
Before the war began on February 28, the highway moved about a fifth of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas.
Trump extends ceasefire
American President Donald Trump announced, on Tuesday (21), that he would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran to allow for new peace negotiations. It is not yet clear whether Iran or Israel, the United States’ war ally, would agree.
The US leader said in a statement on social media that Washington agreed to a request from Pakistani mediators “to suspend our attack on Iran until its leaders and representatives reach a unified proposal… and discussions are concluded, one way or another.”
There was no immediate response from senior Iranian officials to Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, although some initial reactions from Tehran suggested the American’s comments were being met with skepticism.
Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Iran had not requested an extension of the ceasefire and reiterated threats to break the American blockade by force.
An aide to Iran’s chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said Trump’s announcement could be a “time-saving ploy.”
