Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired missiles at two commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz for using the Omani side of the Strait on Tuesday.
The vessels struck included a Qatari-owned LNG tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker.
Donald Trump Pointing in Speech. Image Credit: White House.
President Donald Trump attends an event celebrating the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Champion Florida Gators, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
The IRGC, deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union (EU), has been undermining negotiations by trying to force vessels to submit to its demands.
The attack caused an engine room fire on the LNG vessel, though all crew members were reported safe. The incident took place off the coast of Limah, Oman.
Iranian state media claimed the tankers were targeted after ignoring repeated warnings to avoid U.S.-backed Omani shipping routes.
Qatari Vessel Makes Mayday Call For Help
The Al Rekayyat, loaded with liquefied natural gas, sent out distress signals seeking assistance after it was hit on its port side, one of the sources said.
Another source briefed on the matter said the vessel was at risk of exploding due to a fire in its engine room. The crew was being evacuated.
“Mayday mayday mayday.This is vessel Al Rekayyat, LNG vessel Al Rekayyat. We are being hit by a drone on the port side, top of the engine room,” the Rekayyat’s captain said in a recorded radio call.
“Status: engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage.”
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported early on Tuesday that a tanker had been struck by a “projectile” on its port side while moving southbound about 8 nautical miles (15km) off the coast of Limah in Oman, setting the engine room on fire.
Ship Attacked Interfered With Mine Clearing?
Hossein Royvaran, a Tehran-based pro-regime analyst, said while it isn’t clear why the IRGC attacked the two ships, it could have interfered with Iran’s mine-clearing operations.
“The area near Oman is likely full of mines,” he said. “There is a possibility that these ships headed in directions where Iranian teams in that area are clearing mines, and the ships’ movement might have threatened those teams,” he said.
Iran has yet to comment publicly on the two attacks.
Mine-clearing requires safe, controlled conditions, either to detonate mines or to deploy heavy equipment and explosives-laden drones.
Because LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) is highly explosive, an errant detonation from the de-mining process could ignite the tanker, resulting in a massive secondary explosion that puts the de-mining crews in extreme danger.
Or, in this case, a missile to the engine compartment could ignite the LNG.
Traffic Through The Strait Remains Steady But Not Normal
Kpler, a company that tracks thousands of marine vessels through its tracking software, said in a post on “X” on Monday that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend showed “resilience” with a total of 108 verified crossings. Kpler tracks over 350,000 vessels daily through its AIS network.
There were 43 crossings on July 3, 34 on July 4, and 31 on July 5, it said.
Before this current conflict, an estimated 120-140 vessels crossed through the strait each day, about half of them oil tankers, moving approximately 20 million barrels per day.
However, Iranian-flagged activity “rose sharply”, it added, with ship operators shifting towards “Iranian and Dark or Unknown” routes through the waterway.
What Do The Attacks Mean For Further Negotiations?
Iran is attempting to blackmail global shipping companies, creating a new Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) to charge tolls in the Strait, where there were none before. This would cement their control over the Strait.
Despite the MoU, which stated that the Strait would be open for at least 60 days before further negotiations take place, the IRGC fired on two tankers that passed on the Omani side of the Strait.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE formally rejected Tehran’s creation of the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority” and advised international ships to ignore Iran’s designated maritime routes.
Gulf nations have pressed the UN Security Council to demand that Iran halt seizures, disclose mine locations, and cease interference with merchant shipping traffic.
President Trump has threatened to resume bombing if Iran does not make a deal, most recently on Monday when he told reporters in the Oval Office: “We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to finish the job. OK.
And it won’t be tough to finish the job. I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to affect 91 million people.”
“We can knock down their bridges in one hour; we can knock out their energy supply.”
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, called Trump’s threat “delusional.”
“Iranians are not familiar with the language of threats. So address the Iranian people with respect, otherwise we will respond in a different language,” Zolqadr said in comments published by state-run media.
Oil prices jumped today to $70.35 per barrel in the aftermath of these latest attacks.
Exxon and Chevron are expected to more than triple their earnings for the second quarter of 2026, as the steep rise in oil prices earlier this year boosted their profit margins.
President Trump is calling for the launching of price-gouging investigations despite industry claims that pump prices lag crude price declines.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
