A cruise ship has been caught in the line of fire as Iran targets vessels moving through the closed Strait of Hormuz. The cruise, three nautical miles east of Oman, reported seeing a “splash in close proximity”, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. It said: “UKMTO has received a report of an incident 3NM east of Oman.
“The Master of a Cruise ship reported sighting a splash in close proximity of the vessel. Vessels are advised to report suspicious activity to UKMTO.” At least two Indian merchant vessels also reported being hit by gunfire on Saturday, three shipping and security sources told Reuters.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that two ships carrying crude oil were attacked while attempting to cross the strait.
A statement from the Supreme National Security Council shared by the Fars news agency said Iran would supervise and control traffic through the shipping route “until the war is definitively ended” and a lasting peace is achieved.
The council said ships would need to pay the “costs related to security, safety, and environmental protection services”.
Before they are allowed through the strait, they would need to send Iran complete information about the vessel and receive a certificate of passage.
Iran’s joint military command said on Saturday that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces”.
It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. The military statement accuses the US of “piracy”, saying that its “so-called blockade” amounts to maritime robbery.
The Iranian military’s operational command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, added: “Until the US restores the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from an Iranian origin to a destination, and from a destination back to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled and in its previous state.”
