A UKMTO map showing the approximate location of an attack on a containership, which reported being hit by an unknown projectile causing damage to some of the containers. The incident was reported 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman. Image courtesy UKTMO<\/p>\n
Fresh Attacks Shatter \u2018Open Hormuz\u2019 Narrative as Iran Pushes New Maritime Regime<\/p>\n
that the Strait of Hormuz is \u201copen\u201d unraveled again Saturday after multiple new incidents were reported by the\u00a0United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, marking the first confirmed attacks on commercial shipping since April 7.<\/p>\n
Within a span of hours on April 18, three separate incidents were reported off Oman\u2014two classified as attacks and one as suspicious activity\u2014underscoring the continued volatility across one of the world\u2019s most critical maritime corridors.<\/p>\n
A containership was struck by an unknown projectile roughly 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman, damaging cargo but causing no fire or pollution, according to<\/p>\n
. Authorities are investigating.<\/p>\n
being approached by two gunboats linked to Iran\u2019s\u00a0Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, which opened fire without issuing a VHF challenge. The vessel and crew were reported safe, but the encounter signals a return to direct harassment tactics in the waterway.<\/p>\n
A third report described a \u201csplash\u201d near a cruise ship just 3 nautical miles east of Oman\u2014likely another projectile or near-miss\u2014adding to mounting evidence that risks remain active despite ceasefire messaging.<\/p>\n
First Attacks Since Ceasefire Lull<\/p>\n
The incidents break a 10-day pause in reported attacks following the April 7 ceasefire, which had fueled political claims\u2014particularly from\u00a0President Donald Trump\u2014that the strait had reopened for normal traffic.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The] Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage,\u201d Trump posted Friday to social media in an apparent reference to Hormuz, and even declaring the \u201cHormuz Strait situation is over.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Saturday\u2019s events suggest that threat levels remain elevated\u2014and potentially escalating again.<\/p>\n
UKMTO\u2019s latest tally shows 30 incidents reported between late February and mid-April, including 18 confirmed attacks.<\/p>\n
The renewed violence comes as Iran continues to assert control over transit through Hormuz under what officials have described as a new \u201cmaritime regime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iranian lawmaker\u00a0Ebrahim Azizi<\/p>\n
vessels must obtain authorization from IRGC forces and transit along designated routes\u2014effectively formalizing a permission-based system that major departure from internationally recognized navigation norms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether the Strait is open or closed \u2026 will be determined by the field, not by social media,\u201d Azizi wrote, directly pushing back on U.S. claims of a full reopening.<\/p>\n
Tankers Moving\u2014But Not the Ones You\u2019d Expect<\/p>\n
Early vessel movements through the strait are reinforcing industry skepticism. According to maritime intelligence cited by analysts, a majority of recent transits involved sanctioned or so-called \u201cdark fleet\u201d vessels\u2014ships already operating outside Western compliance frameworks\u2014despite the ongoing U.S. blockade.<\/p>\n
That includes LPG carriers such as<\/p>\n
, along with sanctioned tankers flagged or operating under opaque registries,<\/p>\n
according to Martin Kelly<\/p>\n
, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, reports from<\/p>\n
indicate that at least two Indian vessels\u2014including a VLCC carrying Iraqi crude\u2014were forced to turn back west after encounters with IRGC naval units involving gunfire.<\/p>\n
Industry Warnings Prove Prescient<\/p>\n
The developments align closely with warnings issued on Friday by industry bodies including\u00a0BIMCO,\u00a0INTERTANKO, and the\u00a0International Chamber of Shipping.<\/p>\n
All three cautioned that declarations of an \u201copen\u201d strait<\/p>\n
, citing unresolved mine threats in the establish Traffic Separation Scheme, unclear routing rules, and overlapping military controls.<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s incidents confirm those concerns.<\/p>\n