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An oil tanker caught fire Monday after being struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, raising security concerns in the region again as reports point to renewed Iranian attacks on commercial shipping just as NATO leaders gather in Türkiye for the alliance's summit.
The incident occurred about eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman, while the vessel was sailing southbound, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The agency reported that the projectile hit the tanker's port side, sparking a fire.
UKMTO reported no casualties or environmental damage and urged vessels operating in the area to remain cautious while authorities investigate what happened.
Hours after the incident, Axios reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, citing two unnamed U.S. officials. One of the officials told the outlet that a second vessel was also struck and suffered significant damage.
Iran's state broadcaster, citing unnamed sources in a post on X, claimed a Qatari oil tanker attempting to pass through the Omani route with U.S. Navy support had been targeted after ignoring repeated warnings.
The latest incident threatens to unravel a fragile truce reached less than three weeks ago after weeks of fighting between the United States and Iran that spilled into the Strait of Hormuz. The memorandum of understanding, brokered with Qatari mediation, called for a 60-day halt to hostilities, the reopening of the strategic shipping lane and renewed nuclear negotiations.
Despite the agreement, tensions have remained high. In late June, Iranian forces were accused of attacking a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iranian military targets. Both sides traded fire and accused each other of violating the ceasefire before indirect talks resumed in Doha, where negotiators failed to produce a breakthrough.
Shipping traffic resumed after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last month intended to end the conflict and reopen the strategic waterway. Iran, however, has maintained that vessels will not return to the pre-war system of unrestricted passage and has instructed ships to stay within an authorized corridor along its coastline.
Speaking at the White House on Monday before departing for the NATO Summit in Ankara, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington remains committed to reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran but warned that military action remains on the table if diplomacy fails.
"We're either going to make a deal or we're going to finish the job. Okay, and it won't be tough to finish the job. I'd rather make a deal, because I don't want to affect 91 million people," Trump told reporters.
He argued that the United States has the capability to strike Iran's infrastructure if necessary. "We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply ... They don't have any money now. We haven't given them any money."
Later, during a Rose Garden Club Lunch at the White House, Trump claimed recent U.S. military operations had significantly weakened Iran's armed forces while pressing Tehran to reach an agreement.
"We wiped out their navy, their air force, their radar, their leaders. We wiped out everybody," Trump said. "And then I heard they're doing very well. No, they're not doing well at all."
He added that Iran "wants to make a deal so badly" before repeating that the country "cannot have a nuclear weapon."
"We'll see what happens. We're gonna win one way or the other. We'll win the nice way or the not nice way."
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