The Media Line: Singapore-Flagged Ship Hit in Strait of Hormuz as Iran Tests US Deal  

Singapore-Flagged Ship Hit in Strait of Hormuz as Iran Tests US Deal  

By The Media Line Staff  

Two senior US officials told The Wall Street Journal that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck a Singapore-flagged merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.  

The ship was operating near Oman’s coastline when it was hit, hours after Iran’s paramilitary navy instructed commercial vessels to avoid using sea lanes through the strategic waterway unless they had Tehran’s approval.  

There was damage to the vessel’s bridge, where its navigation, communications and command functions are located. UK Maritime Trade Operations reported structural damage to that section of the ship but said there were no injuries among the crew.  

The attack marked a significant test for the US-Iran agreement signed in mid-June, which commits both sides to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping. The newspaper said the White House declined to comment on the incident.  

Iran’s warning to merchant shipping was issued only hours before the vessel was attacked. Tehran had directed ships to avoid transit routes through the strait that were not specifically authorized by the Iranian government.  

During the weekend, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran demanded an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon. The latest attack occurred after that closure despite the agreement’s provisions calling for the waterway to remain open.  

The International Maritime Organization said the Singapore-flagged cargo ship targeted in the attack was not participating in the evacuation program.  

Before the regional conflict that began this spring, the Strait of Hormuz carried approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas shipments. Interruptions to maritime traffic through the passage have triggered sharp swings in global oil prices.