ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An unidentified projectile struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman on Thursday, a British maritime watchdog reported, following Iranian warnings to vessels to use its designated routes rather than a new corridor established by Oman.
"A cargo vessel has been hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported, noting that the incident occurred 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, Oman. The monitor added that no casualties or environmental damage were reported.
The incident came as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared on Thursday that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is possible only via routes designated by Iran, rejecting a newly announced shipping corridor established by Oman in coordination with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said any transit outside its framework "is not guaranteed safe passage and will lack insurance coverage and related liabilities," adding that the "consequences of transiting unauthorized routes" would be the sole responsibility of the vessel's owner, operator, and master.
The warning followed Oman's announcement a day earlier of a temporary shipping transit corridor through the strategic waterway, which it said was coordinated with the IMO to ensure freedom of navigation without imposing transit tolls.
The Omani plan was introduced following last week's US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after months of maritime restrictions imposed during the US-Iran war that began in late February, before the two sides reached a ceasefire on April 8.
The corridor was presented as a temporary humanitarian and commercial measure while discussions continue over the waterway's future administration.
Reuters cited two unnamed American officials as blaming Iran for the attack on the cargo ship.
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