A cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz has reported being attacked by multiple small craft, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said on Sunday, marking at least two dozen attacks in and around the strait since the Iran war began.
All crew on the unidentified northbound carrier were safe after the attack off Sirik, Iran, east of the strait, the monitor said. Iranian officials have asserted that they control the strait and that ships not affiliated with the United States or Israel can pass if they pay a toll.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the first reported in the area since April 22 when a cargo ship reported being fired upon, the monitor said. The threat level in the area remains critical. Tehran effectively closed the strait by attacking and threatening ships.
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Iranian patrol boats, some powered only by twin outboard motors, are small, nimble and hard to detect and have attacked several ships. US President Donald Trump last month ordered the US military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the strait.
The fragile three-week ceasefire appears to be holding, though Trump on Saturday told journalists that further strikes remained a possibility.
Iran makes new proposal to US seeking to end the war
Iran’s latest proposal to the United States wants issues between them to be resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire, according to Iran’s state-linked media.