An oil tanker was hit with a projectile off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report Tuesday that highlighted the ongoing dangers for shipping companies attempting to use the waterway while Iran holds it in firm control.
The attack came as a high-level delegation from Pakistan was wrapping up meetings in Tehran with the goal of bringing a negotiated end to the nearly six-month old war.
The oil tanker was struck Monday night a few miles off the east coast of Oman, according to the report from the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization.
The strike disabled the ship’s engine, but all crew were reported safe, the UKMTO said. There were no immediate reports of any environmental impact. Prior attacks on tankers during the war have caused oil spills.
About a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Iran now has a stranglehold on traffic through the strait and periodically fires at vessels attempting to transit, though there was no immediate claim for Monday’s attack.
The U.S. is also operating a blockade of Iranian ports and has fired on vessels.
Pakistani officials say ‘highly positive’ talks held with Iran
A delegation from Pakistan led by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir departed Tehran on Tuesday after talks with Iran’s president and other senior officials on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviving negotiations to end the Iran-U.S. conflict, the Pakistani military said.
Pakistan has sought to mediate a resolution between Iran and the U.S., maintaining contacts with officials in both countries. Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had been “very positive and productive.”
Iran and Oman, located on the opposite side of the strait from Iran, are finalizing their own proposal for managing the waterway. Oman’s foreign minister was to meet with Iranian authorities Tuesday.
China warns about U.S. sanctions threat disrupting Iran cooperation
China’s Foreign Ministry says it is closely following plans announced by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to expand sanctions to entities and individuals linked to Iran, including some based in China.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China-Iran cooperation “should not be disrupted or undermined,” noting that it has conformed with international law.
China is one of Iran’s biggest trading partners and purchases the majority of its total oil exports.
The Treasury Department on Monday said it was imposing sanctions on nearly 60 Iran-linked entities, including several based in China. It stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Iran.