WANA (Apr 18) – The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported that a cruise ship was targeted in an attack east of Oman an hour ago, marking the third maritime incident in the region within a two-hour window.

 

Projectiles Near Cruise and Container Ships

According to the UKMTO report, an incident occurred approximately 3 nautical miles east of Oman. The captain of a cruise ship reported seeing a water splash and surge in close proximity to the vessel, likely caused by a projectile impacting the water’s surface.

 

Less than an hour prior to this, the organization reported that a container ship located 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman was struck by an unidentified projectile. The strike reportedly caused damage to several containers on board.

 

Iranian Interception of Indian Vessels

Earlier today, two Indian vessels—one of which was an oil tanker—attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz without obtaining the required permits from Iran. The IRGC Navy opened fire, forcing both ships to turn back.

 

Status of the Strait: Conditional Opening Rescinded

The surge in incidents follows a brief period of diplomatic de-escalation. Last night, following the Lebanon ceasefire, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be temporarily open for commercial vessels.

 

However, citing “American bad faith,” the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced this morning that strict controls have been reinstated.

 

The spokesperson clarified that the Strait of Hormuz will remain under intense supervision and return to its previous restricted status until the United States ends all interference with the free movement of vessels traveling to and from Iran.

 

Despite the renewed tensions, MarineTraffic data confirmed that one passenger cruise ship successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz last night for the first time in 47 days.