Iranian Attack Forces Crew to Abandon Ship East of Oman

A British maritime agency announced on Sunday that it received information from military authorities and a ship official indicating that the crew of a vessel targeted by an Iranian attack east of Oman has evacuated the ship and is now aboard a lifeboat.

The British Maritime Trade Operations reported earlier on Sunday that it was notified of an incident occurring nine nautical miles east of Oman.

The agency stated that military authorities informed them a container ship suffered damage resulting in a fire onboard.

According to the website Axios, a U.S. official said on Sunday that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard launched a missile at a commercial vessel while it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz, causing damage to the ship.

The U.S. official added that the commercial cargo ship targeted by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was navigating the southern route, which Oman had proposed reopening without restrictions.

Following the incident, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval forces declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice."

Details of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Statement

In a statement released early Sunday, the Revolutionary Guard naval forces said several ships, "incited by foreign parties," attempted to sail through "unauthorized routes," ignoring Iranian warnings and alerts to change course.

The statement added that one ship, accused by the Guard of turning off its identification and navigation systems, "was subjected to warning shots that caused it to stop," considering this action a response to the ship’s refusal to comply with warnings.

The Revolutionary Guard confirmed that after the incident, it decided to close the Strait of Hormuz to navigation until the end of what it described as "American interventions in the region," emphasizing that no ship would be allowed to pass during this period.

The statement held the United States and its allies responsible for the consequences of the incident and warned that any new military action against Iran would be met with a "severe response," adding that additional U.S. military bases in the region could become targets for Iranian retaliation.

U.S. Military Response to the Iranian Attack

In reaction to the Iranian assault, U.S. Central Command conducted its third round of military strikes against Iran this week early Sunday, under direct orders from President Donald Trump.

The command stated that the strikes were a response to what it described as a "brazen" attack by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces against the container ship M/V GFS Galaxy, which flies the Cypriot flag while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.