Attack on Iranian vessel near Qeshm Island

An Iranian commercial vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported. The attack killed one crew member and wounded four others, according to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB. State-run IRNA news agency quoted the Qeshm governor as blaming a 'terrorist enemy' for the attack.

Qeshm Island, which is about 14 miles from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, is key to Iran asserting control over traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz. About 20 million barrels of oil passed through the strait every day before the war.

Second vessel hit

Another vessel was hit by an unknown projectile in the strait late on Saturday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO). The UKMTO said a fire broke out on the second vessel and that local authorities were helping evacuate crew members. The UKMTO did not provide details of which state the second vessel is registered. It was not immediately clear if the strike on the Iranian vessel and the UKMTO-reported incident were the same strike.

Iranian response

President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post: 'Our people can't be bullied into submission.' The attack comes a day before Tehran is set to meet regional leaders in Oman to discuss managing shipping in the strait.

A source told Tasnim news agency that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen unless seven conditions conveyed by Iran to the US are met.