Strait of Hormuz Heats Up Again, Tanker Ship Targeted by Shooting

An incident involving the shooting of a ship has occurred again in the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States.

Citing CNN, on Sunday (18/4/2026), the tanker was reported to have been fired upon by an IRGC speedboat while passing through the route on Saturday. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) authority stated that the ship was approached by two IRGC vessels about 20 nautical miles from the coast of Oman before the unannounced shooting.

UKMTO confirmed that the ship and its crew are in safe condition.

Additionally, a container ship was also reported to have experienced an attack while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

This incident follows Iran’s reimposition of restrictions on shipping traffic in the strait. This measure was taken in response to the United States’ policy of continuing the blockade against ships using Iranian ports.

The Iranian military stated that the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain restricted as long as threats against ships associated with Iran persist.

On the diplomatic front, Iran has stated that it is reviewing a new proposal from the United States following talks mediated by Pakistan. US President Donald Trump said negotiations are still ongoing but emphasised that he will not tolerate pressure regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian sources mentioned that further talks are scheduled for Monday, though this has not been confirmed by the US side.

In another region, conflict is also heating up in Lebanon. Israel is reported to have banned displaced residents from returning to 55 occupied villages. Meanwhile, a French soldier from the UN peacekeeping force was killed in an attack suspected to have been carried out by Hezbollah, although the group denied involvement.