Iranian missiles hit 2 ships in Hormuz after Trump's 'week off for funeral' jibe

At least two vessels were damaged, including a tanker left ablaze, in attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz, renewing scrutiny of a recent Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding aimed at halting assaults on shipping in the strategically vital waterway.

In Short

• Two vessels damaged, no casualties reported
• Attacks violate recent US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding
• Tanker off Oman coast caught fire after projectile strike

Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, damaging two vessels, though no casualties were reported, Axios reported, citing a US official.

The reported strikes on Monday have raised concern over a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the US less than three weeks ago, under which Iran had agreed to halt attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. They also come on the heels of the expiry of a Qatar-facilitated week-long agreement between the US and Iran to halt attacks in the strait.

Referring to the interim framework, US President Donald Trump claimed that the US had granted Iran "a week off for a funeral because we're nice." He was referring to the state funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike on February 28, the first day of the war.

In a separate incident, a tanker travelling off the coast of Oman in the strait caught fire early on Tuesday after being struck by a projectile, the British military said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said the tanker was hit near Limah, Oman, in the strait. It said the projectile struck the port side of the vessel as it was travelling south out of the strait towards the Gulf of Oman.

“A tanker has reported being hit by an unknown projectile on the port side, causing a fire, whilst travelling southbound," UKMTO said in a post on X.

“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO," the agency added.

The British military said there was no environmental impact from the strike and that authorities were investigating the incident. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iranian state television, quoting anonymous sources, said that a liquefied natural gas tanker from Qatar in the Strait of Hormuz was targeted on Tuesday after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings.

The US is likely to retaliate, the Axios report added. Earlier in the day, Trump said the US was "going to win one way or the other." He then said he would rather prefer a deal, but warned, "We can knock down their bridges in one hour."

Meanwhile, Iran is also suspected of attacking at least two other vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz near Oman in recent days.

The latest reported attacks on commercial shipping, along with the tanker fire, have heightened concerns over security in the waterway, with uncertainty still prevailing as both sides exchange threats while working on a broader peace framework for the Gulf.

- Ends