A commercial tanker came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to Britain’s maritime security agency, as the United States and Iran exchanged strikes in the most serious breakdown of their fragile ceasefire agreement.
The latest confrontation came after both Washington and Tehran accused each other of violating the deal signed two weeks ago to end a four-month-long war. The United States said it had carried out strikes against Iranian positions overnight, while Iran claimed it had targeted locations associated with US forces in retaliation.
The strike on the tanker followed an earlier attack on a cargo vessel on Thursday, deepening concerns over the security of the narrow waterway through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes. Iran has increasingly sought to demonstrate control over the Strait of Hormuz as commercial traffic slowly resumes following months of disruption.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said the tanker suffered damage to its bridge but confirmed that its crew remained unharmed. The Joint Maritime Information Center, supported by an international naval coalition monitoring shipping activity, increased its security alert level after the recent incidents.
While Tehran has not publicly accepted responsibility for attacks on specific ships, Iranian state media reported that the Revolutionary Guards fired warning shots at unidentified vessels attempting to use routes that Iran had not approved. The report said some ships were now seeking Iranian authorization before crossing the strait.
Iran’s foreign ministry said its latest strikes were defensive measures against US-linked military targets. Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, also reported an Iranian drone attack.
Iran accused Washington of undermining the ceasefire arrangement, particularly by failing to ensure a promised halt to fighting in Lebanon. Israel, a US ally, launched military operations there in March against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.
Several US-brokered ceasefire efforts between Israel and Lebanon have failed to fully stop hostilities. Israel has maintained control over parts of Lebanese territory captured during the fighting, while Hezbollah has refused to disarm as long as Israeli forces remain in place.
Lebanese state media reported another Israeli drone strike on Saturday in Nabatiyeh province in southern Lebanon, an area that has faced repeated attacks during the conflict.
Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, accused the United States of breaching the agreement by supporting regional groups aligned against Tehran and escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
During the war, Iran has repeatedly responded to American strikes by targeting neighboring Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases. Iranian state television said the Revolutionary Guards launched a “decisive response” after U.S. forces struck a communications facility in Sirik port. Iranian media later reported that the port remained operational and suffered no damage to its infrastructure.
Bahrain said Iran’s latest actions amounted to a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
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Hundreds of ships carrying oil and other goods had been trapped in Gulf waters since the conflict began. As vessels started moving through the Strait of Hormuz again in recent weeks, oil prices fell closer to levels seen before the war due to the increased availability of supplies.
However, energy markets are unlikely to fully stabilize unless shipping companies regain confidence in the safety of the route and traffic returns to normal levels.
The United States has encouraged ships to use a southern passage near Oman, while Iran has pushed for vessels to take a northern route through waters it controls — a move that could eventually allow Tehran to collect transit fees.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s parliamentary national security committee, warned that any vessel ignoring Iran’s navigation instructions would face consequences.
US Vice President JD Vance, who has led Washington’s negotiations on the conflict, rejected accusations that the United States had violated the ceasefire and said Iran would be responsible for any renewed fighting.
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“Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honoured it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence,” Vance wrote on X.
The latest exchange took place over the weekend, when global markets were closed, allowing both sides to issue warnings and carry out military actions without an immediate reaction from oil markets.
Previous escalations during the conflict followed a similar pattern, with harsh statements and military threats over weekends often followed by efforts to reduce tensions before markets reopened.
Before the latest outbreak of violence, oil prices had already dropped about 3% on Friday, putting them on track for a steep weekly decline.
If the Strait of Hormuz crisis escalates, it could lead to renewed military confrontations between the US and Iran, potentially disrupting global oil supplies.
The conflict’s impact on global oil prices next week is uncertain, but recent events have already caused fluctuations. Oil prices fell about 3% on Friday, heading for a steep weekly decline.