Tanker Struck and Catches Fire in Strait of Hormuz After Ignoring Routing Warnings

A liquefied natural gas tanker caught fire early Tuesday morning after a projectile struck its port side while the vessel moved south through the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the hit occurred about 8 nautical miles east of Limah, Oman. Authorities were investigating the incident, and no environmental impact was reported.

Iranian state television said the tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings and implied Tehran carried out the assault on a vessel carrying natural gas from Qatar. No official claim has been made by the Islamic Republic. Iran's joint military command warned last Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the strait must use its approved routes.

The command also said interference by U.S. forces would be met with a rapid and decisive reaction. President Trump warned Iran on Monday at the White House that they must make a deal or the United States would finish the job.

"I'd rather make a deal, because I don't want to affect 91 million people," he said. Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage.

The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they will not agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait. The data firm Kpler reported that over last weekend at least 108 ships crossed through the strait using various routes.