LONDON — The UK Maritime Trade Operations said Saturday it received a report of a tanker being fired upon by two gunboats linked to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in waters between Iran and Oman.
In a statement posted on X, the agency said the tanker’s master reported being approached by two IRGC gunboats without any VHF radio challenge before shots were fired.
The incident took place around the Strait of Hormuz, about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
UKMTO said officials are investigating the report and that the tanker and its crew were safe.
Separately, tanker monitoring service TankerTrackers.com said two Indian ships were forced back west out of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy.
The service said the report was based on two Channel 16 VHF radio recordings, the international maritime distress and calling frequency.
It added that firing was involved and that one of the vessels was an Indian-flagged VLCC supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.
Earlier Saturday, the IRGC joint command said the Strait of Hormuz had returned to its previous state under the control of Iran’s armed forces, citing what it described as an ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait was completely open for all commercial vessels and that the move was in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon.
On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran, prompting strikes by Tehran on Israel and regional countries.
The conflict has remained on hold since April 8 after Pakistan mediated a two-week ceasefire.
Washington and Tehran held talks in Pakistan last weekend, while efforts continue for another round of negotiations in Islamabad.
Source: Saudi Gazette