DUBAI — A new incident in the Strait of Hormuz is putting fresh pressure on a maritime corridor already operating under severe strain. Iran said it had struck a Togo-flagged oil tanker, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported that a tanker had been hit by an unknown projectile.

The Associated Press reported that Iran’s state broadcaster said the tanker, the Trend, was targeted for what Tehran described as an illegal attempt to pass through the strait. In a separate update, UKMTO said a tanker in the strait was hit by an unknown projectile and caught fire; the fire was later extinguished and the crew was reported safe.

The accounts have not been fully matched. AP said it was not clear whether the UKMTO report described the incident claimed by Iran, and said there was no immediate independent confirmation of the Iranian account. That distinction matters in a crisis where several vessels have been reported hit and commercial traffic has already fallen sharply.

The strait is a narrow passage between Iran and Oman and one of the world’s most important routes for energy shipments. AP reported that UKMTO-linked traffic facilitated by the U.S. military off Oman had averaged 24 ship transits a day over the previous week, while overall traffic was about 90% lower than before the war.

For shipowners, the immediate problem is uncertainty as much as damage. A tanker can be reported hit without the route being formally closed, yet insurers, crews and operators still have to price the possibility of another projectile, a fire or a delay. The verified account is therefore a developing maritime-security incident, not proof that every reported claim refers to one attack.

Reporting note: this article is based on the source record listed above and is current as of 18 September 2026, 16:50 BST. Figures, operational claims and casualty counts may change as authorities update their accounts.