United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz were struck by projectiles on Tuesday – an apparent outburst of violence from Iran after days of funeral services for slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that included numerous calls for President Donald Trump to be assassinated.
According to UKMTO, the first ship was attacked off the coast of Oman and caught fire after it was hit by an unidentified projectile. The second sustained “structural damage” after likewise being hit by an unspecified weapon, while the third suffered minor damage from a drone attack. As of Tuesday afternoon, no casualties were reported from any of the attacks.
The Iranian regime, which has insisted on all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following its orders and threatened to attack ships that choose to hug the coast of Oman, made no immediate statement about the strikes.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry promptly condemned Iran for its “unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international maritime navigation.”
“We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all practices that undermine regional security or threaten the safety of international maritime navigation, and refrain from endangering global energy supplies and the resources of the countries of the region in pursuit of narrow interests,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.
Ansari said Qatar holds Iran “fully legally responsible for this attack, and for any resulting damages and consequences.”
The ship that caught fire on Tuesday was a Qatari tanker called Al-Rekayyat. Arab News reported that the ship was loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) when it was struck. The crew has been sending out distress signals warning that the engine room is on fire, and the ship is at risk of a catastrophic explosion.
An unnamed Middle Eastern source told Arab News that Iran’s terrorist attacks are having the desired effect.
“Now if we use the 100 percent safe Iranian waters, it means we are dealing with Iranians and admitting the SOH (Strait of Hormuz) is under their control. If we pass through U.S./Oman, then you get hit,” the source said.
“The U.S. gives you permission to pass but if something happens on the way, they then say, ‘It is your decision to keep moving or go back,’” the source complained.
Iranian state media reported on Monday that the Qatari tanker was attempting to follow “the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. Navy support,” and was attacked “after ignoring repeated warnings” from the IRGC.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday that Iran’s terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is warning civilian ships via maritime radio that “our missiles and drones are ready to fire at you.”
A senior U.S. official told the WSJ that the surge of Iranian terrorist violence was linked to the weekend’s funeral observances for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader who was killed in the opening hours of Operation Epic Fury by an Israeli airstrike.
According to this official, the regime is using the Khamenei funeral as a nationalist rally to whip the Iranian public into a state of belligerence, and the IRGC is flexing its drone and missile muscles in the Strait of Hormuz to thwart efforts by U.S. negotiators to work out a longer-lasting peace deal after the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) expires.
President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the U.S. military is ready to “finish the job” if Iran does not “make a deal.”
“I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” Trump said. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour. We can knock out their energy supply. They don’t have any money now. We haven’t given them any money.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pointed to the massive turnout for Khamenei’s funeral – which included many calls for Trump’s murder – as a sign of Iran’s defiance.
“Millions of proud Iranians rallied in unity to honor Grand Ayatollah Khamenei and his legacy. Neither them nor our brave armed forces are moved by any threats,” Aragchi said.
“Negotiations on a final deal will not commence if threats continue. Honor your signature,” he told Trump, referring to the MOU.