At least two commercial vessels were struck in the Strait of Hormuz on 7 July, the first such attacks since an interim ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect last month. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported that a tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile near the Omani coast, causing a fire. A Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier, the Al Rekayyat, later broadcast a distress call after a drone strike ignited its engine room; the crew was evacuated safely but the ship was left disabled. Maritime security sources also reported damage to a Saudi-flagged crude oil supertanker, the Wedyan, off Oman. No casualties or environmental harm were recorded in any of the incidents.

Iranian state television, citing anonymous sources, stated that the Qatari vessel was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings to use only Tehran-approved transit routes. Iran’s joint military command had declared the previous week that all tankers must follow its designated corridors and that any interference by US forces would be met with a “rapid and decisive reaction.” No official Iranian body has claimed responsibility. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, described the attack as “an unacceptable attack on the security of international navigation and global energy supplies” and said Doha holds Iran “fully legally responsible” for a “clear violation of international law.” Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Axios news website that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had fired at least two missiles at commercial ships. President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House, warned that Iran must “make a deal or we’re going to finish the job,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on social media that under the terms of the ceasefire memorandum, negotiations on a final agreement “will not commence if threats continue.”

The incidents expose the unresolved dispute over navigation rights that the 18 June memorandum of understanding left unaddressed. Iran insists that all vessels transiting the strait must coordinate their passage with Tehran and has signalled an intention to eventually levy transit fees, a demand rejected by Washington and Gulf Arab states. The US Navy-overseen Joint Maritime Information Center had advised shippers on 6 July that the route near Oman’s coastline “has been expanded and remains available for all traffic,” directly contradicting Iranian warnings. Shipping industry sources, who requested anonymity, described a dilemma: using Iranian-controlled waters implies accepting Tehran’s sovereignty claim over the strait, while the US-Oman corridor carries the risk of being struck. The damage to a Qatari LNG carrier is especially sensitive because Doha has acted as a mediator in the indirect US-Iran talks, and its energy infrastructure was targeted earlier in the conflict.

The war began on 28 February with US and Israeli strikes aimed at degrading Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes. Iran responded by effectively closing the strait, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil trade normally passes, and by launching attacks on tankers and Gulf state facilities. The interim ceasefire, brokered to allow 60 days of negotiations, has been tested by repeated exchanges of fire. A round of indirect talks in Qatar concluded last week without visible progress. The funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, killed on the war’s first day, has drawn millions of mourners and featured chants calling for the death of President Trump, hardening the political climate in Tehran. Viewed from European capitals, the risk of a renewed cycle of US strikes and Iranian retaliation against Gulf Arab states remains acute. The burial is expected to conclude shortly, but Iran has conditioned further negotiations on an end to US threats, while Washington insists on a deal that fully reopens the strait and curbs Iran’s nuclear programme. The ceasefire is set to expire in mid-August unless extended, and no new talks have been scheduled.