Several commercial vessels in the northern Gulf and the Gulf of Oman came under fire and were forced to stop during military activity in the area, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said Wednesday.
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The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had been unable to confirm whether there were any casualties or environmental damage.
Later, UKMTO reported that a vessel was seen listing to one side while anchored about 24 nautical miles northwest of Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates. The incident may indicate that water had entered the vessel after it was struck by a projectile, the agency said.
UKMTO added that the incident had been reported by a third party.
Tehran is expected to declare a "prohibited area" outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, as commercial shipping activity has fallen to its lowest level since May amid escalating attacks on vessels and oil tankers.
The attacks come as diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled and Washington has declared an "economic war" on Iran, including tighter sanctions on Tehran and countries doing business with it in an effort to put further pressure on the Iranian economy.
The United States has also expanded the scope of secondary sanctions that can be imposed on entities and countries maintaining commercial ties with Iran worldwide as part of its "Economic Outcast" campaign against Tehran.
On June 18, 2026, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, paving the way for a final agreement. Implementation, however, stalled over disagreements concerning the security of the strait.
Between July 8 and July 24, the United States resumed attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to target countries in the region, before talks resumed over safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
On August 31, the United States carried out airstrikes targeting Iranian missile launch platforms on a small island in the Strait of Hormuz.
On September 1, the United States launched airstrikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran in response to what Washington described as "attacks by the IRGC on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and on U.S. military personnel deployed in the region."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the United States would not hold talks with Iran unless Tehran stopped firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Washington was pressuring Iran to halt such attacks.
The United States also reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz following renewed clashes described as the most intense since a ceasefire between the two sides took effect in April.
Iran warned that the renewed blockade of its ports would undermine its memorandum of understanding with Washington.
The war began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. Tehran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war served as the main waterway for nearly one-fifth of global energy supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the key flashpoints in the conflict. Iran's control over the waterway has given Tehran significant leverage and an effective means of exerting pressure.
Source: Reuters
