Kamal Ghorui
A bulk carrier sailing near Iran’s coast in the Strait of Hormuz region was attacked by multiple small craft, Britain’s maritime monitoring agency has said. In a brief statement of Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that all crew members aboard the unidentified vessel were “reported safe” after the incident, which took place 11 nautical miles (20km) west of Sirik, Iran. The agency also confirmed “No environmental impact reported.” The location of the incident, Sirik, lies on the Iranian side of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that has been at the centre of the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.Since the war began on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz has been a flash point as Iran tightened its grip over the region, disrupting the movement of oil, gas and fertiliser shipments through the passage and pushing global prices higher. According to Al Jazeera, the United States introduced a counter-blockade on Iranian ports from April 13, shortly after a fragile ceasefire came into effect.The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday that 49 vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports have now been redirected under the blockade. “As of today, 49 commercial vessels have been redirected to comply with the blockade. US forces remain fully committed to total enforcement,” CENTCOM said in a social media post.In a separate development, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz from Monday. US Central Command said the operation will involve guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members, although a US official clarified that the initiative is not an escort mission.The announcement drew a sharp response from Tehran. Ebrahim Azizi, a senior Iranian official and head of the parliament’s National Security Commission, warned that any US interference would breach the ceasefire. Posting on X, he said: “Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.”He further stated, “The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts!”His remarks highlight rising tensions over the US role in maritime movement through the chokepoint, where prolonged disruption has already left thousands of seafarers stranded on vessels.Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, Donald Trump said US representatives “are having very positive discussions” with Iran as both sides continue exchanging peace proposals. Iran’s foreign ministry said it is currently reviewing the US response to Tehran’s latest proposal.
