ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker transiting outbound from the Strait of Hormuz was hit by debris from unknown projectiles, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Monday, as the US-Iran tensions continue to escalate around the strategic waterway.
The vessel’s master reported that the tanker had been struck by debris while sailing out of the strait, according to UKMTO. All crew members were safe, and there was no reported environmental impact.
“The tanker will continue to its next port of call,” UKMTO said in its incident alert.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz following months of military confrontation between Iran and the United States, alongside Washington’s intensifying efforts to constrain Tehran’s economy and maritime trade.
The United States has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports since mid-July. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday that its forces had redirected 110 commercial vessels since the beginning of the campaign.
CENTCOM has also said US forces supported the transit of more than one billion barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz in recent months and provided “coordinated protection” for around 2,000 commercial vessels.
Washington is also tightening sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Iranian airlines would effectively be barred from international operations from Wednesday, while warning that companies and airports serving sanctioned carriers could also face penalties.
Iraq will suspend flights operated by Iranian airlines from Tuesday morning in line with the US decision, two Iraqi government sources told AFP.
The latest incident follows increasingly confrontational warnings between Washington and Tehran. US President Donald Trump warned Sunday that Iran could face the destruction of its economy or the removal of its leadership if it fails to reach an agreement with Washington.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the alternatives were “wipe Iran out” or allow its economy to “rot” unless a deal was reached.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, meanwhile, warned that any US attack would trigger retaliation against American interests across the region and said countries supporting such an operation would be considered parties to the conflict.
“If the US makes any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all its positions and interests in the region will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks, without any limitations or considerations,” the headquarters said, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, traveled to New York for the UN General Assembly, saying his delegation would defend Tehran’s position and convey the Iranian people’s message internationally.
“We will strongly defend our positions in international forums and convey the message of the Iranian people to the world,” Pezeshkian said before departing Tehran.
Iran has said it conveyed conditions to Washington through Qatar for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil and gas shipments that Tehran has effectively choked off since the war began. Washington, meanwhile, has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports.
