Dubai, UAE — A cargo vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman on Tuesday, British maritime authorities said, as U.S. President Donald Trump renewed pressure on Iran by warning it faced a “last chance before decapitation”.
The vessel, which was not identified, reported being hit by an unknown projectile about 20 nautical miles (37 km) northeast of Al Khasab, Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. It gave no details on damage or injuries and said authorities were investigating.
The incident came amid heightened tensions in the strategic waterway, where shipping has been repeatedly disrupted since fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran erupted earlier this year.
Iranian military adviser Mohsen Rezaei warned the United States that its naval blockade of Iranian ports could have serious consequences.
“If the blockade continues, American vessels and forces will face serious risks and casualties,” Rezaei said in a post on X.
“The U.S. must change its behavior — or we will not tolerate this. We will never permit the opening of a second corridor in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said negotiations with Iran were underway despite Tehran’s denials and described the current moment as a “last chance before decapitation”.
“We are talking right now,” Trump told reporters, adding that he had agreed to continue pursuing talks at the request of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other regional countries.
“This is a last chance for them to sign a good document,” he said. “I want to give them every last chance before decapitation.”
Trump said the talks were focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s denuclearisation, adding that reopening the waterway could come “literally by tomorrow”, while the nuclear issue “could take a little while”.
Iran’s foreign ministry denied that negotiations with Washington were taking place, saying its current talks were with Oman over securing passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran was seeking an arrangement with Oman on a mutually acceptable shipping route but insisted such an agreement would not amount to reopening the strait.
The latest shipping incident follows another report on Sunday in which a tanker off the coast of Oman heard an explosion nearby, although the vessel and crew were reported safe, according to UKMTO.
The United States and Iran have remained at war since late February following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, with intermittent diplomatic efforts failing to produce a lasting agreement. Trump last week threatened to hit Iran “very hard” before later saying the outlines of a deal had emerged.
CNN reported on Monday that the U.S. military was seeking fresh ideas from military experts on increasing pressure on Iran, citing an internal email from U.S. Central Command’s intelligence branch. A Centcom spokesperson told the broadcaster the move was consistent with the command’s long-standing practice of exploring innovative approaches.
