Strait of Hormuz Heats Up Again

The Strait of Hormuz has heated up again amidst a ceasefire agreement between the United States (US) and Iran. Most recently, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired two missiles at commercial ships transiting the strategic waterway. The incident occurred on Monday evening (6/7), with two ships reported damaged. The information regarding the latest Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz was reported by US media outlet Axios, citing two unnamed US officials, as reported by Reuters on Tuesday (7/7/2026). Iranian authorities have yet to issue an official statement. However, according to a report by prominent US media outlet the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the IRGC had warned several ships via maritime radio over the weekend that “our missiles and drones are ready to fire at you”. The Axios report mentioned that two commercial ships, whose country of origin and owners were not named, suffered severe damage in the attack. There have been no reports of casualties so far. Meanwhile, according to the WSJ report, one of the ships attacked appeared to be the Al Rekayyat, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker owned and managed by Nakilat, or the Qatar Gas Transport Company. The WSJ reported that the ship was struck on the port side, just above the engine room. “A fire broke out in the engine room and it is full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage. All crew members are safe and have gathered on the starboard side,” the WSJ report stated. The WSJ report noted that the ship was attacked while at the end of the Strait of Hormuz, in the Gulf of Oman area. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker caught fire after being hit by an unidentified projectile in waters east of Limah, Oman, on Tuesday (7/7) local time. The UKMTO said the tanker was struck on its port side while sailing south, approximately 15 kilometres east of Limah, causing a fire. There were no reports of casualties or environmental impact from the incident. Reuters could not immediately verify the Axios report or confirm whether the ships mentioned included the tanker reported by the UKMTO. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not yet provided any comment. These reports highlight the risks to shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Iranian mainland and Oman through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Commercial ships were targeted during the war between Iran and the US and Israel, despite a temporary agreement that included safe passage provisions. Amid ongoing negotiations, threats continue to be exchanged between US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that negotiations for a final agreement with the US would not commence if “threats continue”. This warning came after Donald Trump threatened to “finish the job” if a deal with Tehran failed. In a statement on social media platform X, as reported by Anadolu Agency on Tuesday (7/7/2026), Araghchi reminded the US that negotiations on a final agreement would not start if “threats continue”, referring to Article 13 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both countries. “Article 13 of the MoU is clear: Negotiations on a final agreement will not begin if threats continue,” Araghchi stated. “Respect your signature,” he said, addressing Trump. The MoU between Iran and the US, known as the Islamabad MoU, was signed electronically by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump in mid-June. The 14-point agreement initiated a 60-day diplomatic period, through indirect negotiations between the two countries mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, aimed at reaching a lasting peace agreement. Araghchi’s warning came hours after Trump cautioned that the US was prepared to use military force if diplomacy with Iran failed. Trump also reiterated that Tehran must not possess nuclear weapons. “We’ll make a deal or we’ll finish the job. Okay, and it won’t be hard to finish the job,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday (6/7). “I prefer to make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” the US President said, referring to Iran’s total population. Trump then warned that the US had the capability to strike Iranian infrastructure if necessary. “We can destroy their bridges in an hour, we can cripple their energy supply… They don’t have that now. We haven’t given them any money,” he said.