An Iranian cargo vessel has been struck near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one person and injuring four others, according to Iranian state media.
The incident came a day before Iran was due to brief regional countries on its plans to manage shipping through the strategically important waterway.
IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency, quoted the governor of Qeshm as blaming a “terrorist enemy” for Sunday’s attack. There was no immediate statement from the US military.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor said a vessel had been hit by a projectile while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. It was not immediately clear whether the report referred to the same incident.
The monitor said a fire had started and that local authorities were assisting people on board to leave the vessel.
Qeshm Island, about 22km from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, is central to Tehran’s efforts to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran plans regional talks on Strait of Hormuz shipping
Iran has said foreign ministers from countries in the region will meet in Oman on Monday to discuss arrangements for shipping through the strait. Iraq is the only country to have publicly confirmed its attendance, while Bahrain has said it will not take part because it has no diplomatic relations with Iran.
Commercial traffic through the waterway remains limited as attacks in the region continue. Iran has proposed charging ships fees to pass through the strait, saying vessels entering the Persian Gulf would travel through Iranian waters, while outbound traffic would use both Iranian and Omani waters.
Tehran has also made clear that any agreement with Oman would not necessarily mean the waterway would be reopened to all shipping. President Masoud Pezeshkian told India Today TV that it would be opened only if the United States ended its blockade.
“Our people can’t be bullied into submission. Iran won’t surrender,” Mr Pezeshkian said in a social media post hours before the vessel was hit.
The latest disruption follows heightened threats to shipping in the region after Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured an island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he expected the conflict with Iran to end this year, possibly soon after the US midterm elections in November. He said Iran was calling repeatedly because it wanted to reach a deal, but that any agreement would have to be acceptable to Washington.
