The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq\u2019s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. REUTERS\/Mohammed Aty<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s\u00a0Navy\u00a0Tells Ships Strait of Hormuz Shut Again, Two Vessels Report\u00a0Gunfire<\/p>\n
ATHENS, April 18 (Reuters)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Merchant vessels attempting to cross the<\/p>\n
on Saturday received radio messages from Iran\u2019s\u00a0navy\u00a0telling them they were not allowed to pass, while two ships reported being hit by gunfire,\u00a0shipping\u00a0sources said.<\/p>\n
Several commercial vessels tried to transit the strait after<\/p>\n
to mariners a day earlier saying passage would be allowed but restricted to lanes Iran deemed safe.<\/p>\n
Shipping Industry Pushes Back on \u2018Open\u2019 Hormuz Narrative as Risks Persist<\/p>\n
On Saturday, at least two ships reported that Iranian boats fired shots,\u00a0shipping\u00a0and maritime security sources told Reuters. The incidents were reported in waters between the Qeshm and Larak islands. The vessels turned back without completing the crossing, the sources said.<\/p>\n
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received a report\u00a0of an incident 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The captain of a tanker said it had been approached by two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats that fired on the vessel. The tanker and its crew were safe.<\/p>\n
A container ship was also hit by gunfire, a maritime security source said.<\/p>\n
Some vessels reported that Iran\u2019s\u00a0navy\u00a0had been broadcasting a VHF message saying the Strait of Hormuz was closed again.<\/p>\n
\u201cAttention all ships, regarding the failure of the U.S. government to fulfill its commitment in the negotiation, Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz completely closed again. No vessel of any type or nationality is allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d the radio message said.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers<\/p>\n
remain stranded in the Gulf<\/p>\n
, waiting to pass through the key waterway, which handles about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.<\/p>\n