US Accuses Iranian Revolutionary Guard of Targeting Ships in Strait of Hormuz

An American official accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard early Tuesday of targeting commercial ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz, while a British maritime authority reported damage to a tanker.

According to an Axios correspondent citing a US official, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The US official stated that two commercial ships were hit and sustained severe damage, but there were no reported casualties.

Earlier, the British Maritime Trade Operations authority reported a fire on a tanker after it was struck by an unidentified projectile.

The British authority indicated that the tanker was hit on its port side while sailing south approximately 14.8 kilometers east of Lima in the Sultanate of Oman.

They added that there were no reports of human casualties or environmental impact resulting from the attack on the tanker.

Shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group and Kepler showed that two giant tankers owned by Japanese companies, carrying a total of 4 million barrels of crude oil, were heading toward the Strait of Hormuz to exit the Gulf.

The London Stock Exchange Group data identified one tanker as owned and operated by Nippon Yusen K.K., while the other belongs to Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha.

Iran has refused to bear the cost of removing mines from the Strait of Hormuz.