War in the Middle East: We will destroy you, Iran attacks two ships trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz

According to the British maritime security agency UKMTO, boats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at a ship without any radio warning.

Commercial vessels faced gunfire and threats from the Iranian military as they tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, following Iran’s announcement of the blockage of this crucial commercial route after a brief reopening.

Tehran announced on Saturday that it is resuming “strict control” of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, reversing its decision from the previous day to reopen this strategic maritime passage.

The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported that IRGC boats fired on a tanker. The container ship was hit by an unidentified projectile, damaging some containers on board, but no fire or injuries among the crew were reported. The ship remains intact.

The ship involved was the Sanmar Herald, flying the Indian flag, according to the intelligence company Vanguard Tech. Vanguard reported, based on the tanker captain, that two IRGC patrol boats approached without establishing radio contact and “shots were fired, damaging the bridge windows.”

Another ship, the Mein Schiff 4, flying the Maltese flag and sailing near Oman, reported a projectile falling nearby while navigating close to Oman, Vanguard said. “The captain confirmed receiving VHF communications from IRGC units declaring: ‘We are conducting an operation, we will fire and destroy you.’ No damage was reported,” Vanguard reported.

Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been invisible since his appointment, had previously warned in a written message that his navy was “ready to make the enemy taste the bitterness of new defeats.”

At least three of the ships tracked as they left the strait on Saturday were on the U.S. sanctions list. Some present in the strait identified themselves as connected to India or China, in a sign of neutrality.

Shipping analysis company AXSMarine estimated on Saturday that there are currently between 108 and 116 million barrels of crude oil stored on ships at sea in the Gulf. The company believes that this cargo could pass through the strait within six to eight days after a complete reopening, but that shipments would take several weeks to reach Asian markets.