Oil tanker struck by projectile near Strait of Hormuz, fire

An oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, July 6, 2026, sparking a fire on board, according to the British maritime security agency, UKMTO. The agency reported the vessel was hit on its port side while traveling southbound approximately eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman. No casualties or environmental damage were reported.

The incident occurred in a critical global energy chokepoint, a narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and a significant share of liquefied natural gas flows. It marks the latest in a series of security incidents affecting commercial shipping in the region. A U.S. official stated that Iranian forces fired missiles at commercial vessels in the strait, hitting two ships. Separately, an unconfirmed report indicated a loaded LNG tanker was also struck and set ablaze, though official confirmation of that specific incident was pending.

The attack took place on or adjacent to a U.N.-sanctioned southern transit corridor off Oman, which has become a primary route for vessels entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz. This corridor was expanded following a...