Iran fires on ships, re-closes Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions - National | Globalnews.ca

The standoff intensified Saturday as the United States pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports, causing Iran to reverse an earlier reopening of the crucial waterway and fire on ships attempting to pass through.

The British military says two gunboats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the strait.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said an unknown projectile hit the vessel, 25 nautical miles (46 kilometres) northeast of Oman.

Some containers on the vessel were damaged, it said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the tanker and crew were reported safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy later warned the strait would remain closed until the U.S. blockade is lifted, saying "no vessel should make any movement" toward the channel and that approaching it would be considered co-operation with the enemy.

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The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical shipping lanes for oil, and the renewed closure threatens to deepen global energy market instability.

The escalation comes amid broader diplomatic strain, with Pakistan acting as a mediator to try to restart negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

However, Iran's foreign minister has signalled the country is not ready for new face-to-face talks.

Barbara Leaf, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told Global News the situation remains highly uncertain and any path forward will be difficult.

"This is simply going to be the course of a very torturous effort to get to a landing spot … even just a framework agreement between the U.S. and Iran," she said.

"The uncertainty, instability and volatility is ongoing."

Leaf also pointed to tensions between military and diplomatic approaches in the region, noting recent developments involving Israel and the United States.

"I was a little more optimistic yesterday morning, but I don't indulge in giddy optimism these days," she said, adding that the strait briefly reopened before closing again.

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She warned that the economic consequences are already significant, with global markets feeling the impact of the disruption to shipping through the narrow waterway.

— with files from The Associated Press

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