A cargo vessel traversing the Strait of Hormuz via a newly established, UN-backed Omani corridor was struck by a projectile on Thursday, suffering damage to its bridge but reporting no casualties or environmental harm, according to the British military.
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The incident occurred 7.5 nautical miles off the Omani coast, hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that vessels transiting the strait without Tehran’s explicit authorization would face consequences.
Footage circulated on social media, reportedly filmed from a ship’s bridge, captured an IRGC Navy radio transmission declaring that only vessels possessing Iranian permission and adhering to designated routes were permitted passage. “Transit only with IRGC permission, on designated routes. No permission, AIS off, or off-route, and you carry the consequences,” the broadcast stated.
Maritime tracking data indicated a sharp increase in crossings along the new Omani route prior to the attack. The corridor, announced Wednesday by Oman in coordination with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), recorded 70 transits even as Iranian threats mounted. Oil tankers, led by the Stoic Warrior, navigated along the UAE and Omani coasts early Thursday, passing near the Musandam Peninsula.
North of this corridor lies the central shipping lane historically used for the free passage of approximately one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies. While some vessels had previously exited the strait under U.S. military escort, the IMO initiative represents the latest multilateral effort to release trapped shipping.
Shipping giant Maersk confirmed that its container ship, the Maersk Baltimore, and a chartered vessel successfully transited the route on Thursday. “Opportunistic operators — and there are many of them — emboldened by the lower transit risk, or at least the perceived lower transit risk, have begun chasing the backlog of trapped cargoes,” noted Richard Meade, editor-in-chief at Lloyd’s List.
The IRGC’s naval command reacted to the surge in traffic and the new route with a formal warning carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. The force denounced the corridor as “unacceptable and completely dangerous,” asserting it was established without notification or coordination with Tehran.
“The only authorised route for passing through the Strait of Hormuz is the one declared by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement read. “Vessel traffic outside these routes is extremely dangerous and prohibited. Violators will be dealt with,” it added, without elaborating.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened with foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to affirm that their interests would be safeguarded in any prospective agreement with Iran. Rubio stated that Washington and its Gulf partners would ensure no tolls are imposed on ships transiting the strait and emphasized the importance of keeping the Omani route operational.
“If that stops, then we’re going to have a problem,” Rubio warned.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, expressed gratitude for U.S. support, remarking that the developments offered “a glimmer of hope for our region,” while underscoring that it remained “critically important that Iran adheres to its obligations.”
