Tanker set ablaze after being struck by projectile in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman

Tanker set ablaze after being struck by projectile in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran mourns Khamenei 1 of 5 | A truck carrying the coffins of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family makes its way through mourners during the funeral procession in Tehran, Iran, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 2 of 5 | Mourners attend the funeral procession of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 3 of 5 | A woman holds a poster of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his funeral procession in Tehran, Iran, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 4 of 5 | Mourners write messages on a wall, including one in English that reads “We will kill Trump,” during the funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) 5 of 5 | A container ship, right, and a cargo vessel are seen in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP) By JON GAMBRELL Updated 3:57 AM MESZ, July 7, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A tanker traveling off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz caught on fire early Tuesday morning after being struck by a projectile, the British military said. The attack was the latest targeting a vessel moving through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime. Suspicion over the attack immediately fell on Iran, which is suspected of attacking other ships using a route close to the Omani shore despite warnings from Tehran to ships that only their route was safe in the waterway. The U.S. is eager to press ahead with negotiations with Iran aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program and reaching a permanent end to the war launched Feb. 28. But previous attacks in the strait have sparked retaliatory strikes by the U.S., which then saw Iran attack Gulf Arab states — raising the risk of an escalation. Talks between Iran and the U.S., meanwhile, appear to be on hold until after the burial of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. Signs have been increasing that mourners at his funeral were calling for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump. Authorities flew Khamenei’s body to the Shiite seminary city of Qom overnight, where mourners honored him Tuesday. Khamenei’s other sons appear at his funeral in Iran as new supreme leader remains in hiding 4 MIN READ 478 Iran begins dayslong funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in war 4 MIN READ 72 Iran prepares for dayslong funeral for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in war 4 MIN READ 440 Tanker struck in latest attack in strait The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the tanker had been hit near Limah, Oman, in the strait. The UKMTO said the projectile hit the port side of the vessel while trying to traveling south out of the strait toward the Gulf of Oman. It said there was no environmental impact from the strike and that authorities were investigating. Iran’s joint military command warned last Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the strait must use its approved routes. “Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels,” the Iranian statement then said. It also said that interference by U.S. forces in the strait “will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction.” Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, upending decades of practice in the waterway. The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they won’t agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait. An effort by Oman and a United Nations agency to launch a new route near Oman’s shore earlier sparked attacks across the Mideast, highlighting the tensions. The data firm Kpler reported that over last weekend at least 108 ships crossed through the strait using various routes. Iranian state television early Tuesday aired live images of tens of thousands of people walking toward Jamkaran Mosque, just south of Qom, for a funeral service for Khamenei. The mosque is believed by Shiites to have once hosted the Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shiite imam, who disappeared in the 9th century and will one day reappear to bring justice to the world. Images of Khamenei and his son, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, were displayed on banners and posters held by mourners. Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make an appearance in the funeral ceremonies, which are unfolding over several days. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father. At the height of the war, before an April ceasefire, Israel targeted top Iranian leaders, in at least one case likely using their public appearances to fix their position. It has also threatened to kill the younger Khamenei. Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life for the mourning, which began Saturday and will end Thursday as Khamenei is buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace. Khamenei was 86. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto