Iran says struck oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

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Vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on August 10, 2026. The US President signalled on August 9 that he was prepared to let economic pressure mount against Iran, apparently backing away from more military strikes after Tehran issued a list of demands for opening the Strait of Hormuz. His remarks came after Iran issued over the weekend a list of conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained largely closed since the start of the Middle East war in late February. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Friday they struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to state news agency IRNA, as a British maritime agency also reported an attack.

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Iran has maintained its stranglehold on the strategic strait as Washington continues pressing its counterblockade of Iranian ports during the Middle East war.

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The Islamic republic wants to charge ships for passage, attacking vessels it accuses of attempting to circumvent its preferred route.

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“The Togo-flagged oil tanker ‘Trend’ had been targeted and detained after a fire broke out on board” late on Thursday, the statement said, calling it an attempted “illegal passage”.

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Early on Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a ship was hit by an “unknown projectile”, causing a fire that was extinguished.

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The monitoring agency had also reported a “security incident” in Hormuz late on Thursday, without giving details.

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It was unclear if the IRGC and UKMTO reports referred to the same incident.

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