UK maritime agency raises Strait of Hormuz threat level after oil tanker reports being struck

By Nathan Rennolds Published on 27/06/2026 - 13:00 GMT+2 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp It comes after the US military carried out strikes on Iran, which it said were in response to Iranian drone attacks on shipping in the Strait. The UKMTO maritime agency raised its threat level in the Strait of Hormuz to "substantial" on Saturday following attacks on commercial vessels in the waterway. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The agency said earlier on Saturday that the "Master of Tanker" ship had reported being struck by an "unidentified projectile" in the Strait. It said the vessel had sustained damage to its bridge but that the crew had reported as safe. "No environmental damage reported at present," it added. UKMTO has warned mariners of the existence of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the busiest energy transit chokepoints in the world, and said that they should expect to encounter naval presence as mine clearance operations continue. "Mariners should also expect congestion through transit routes," it said. The Strait of Hormuz has been at the centre of tensions between Washington and Tehran, and it is a crucial part of their recently agreed "memorandum of understanding". Under the terms of the provisional agreement, the US is required to remove its naval blockade of Iran while Tehran must reopen the Strait, but they have clashed over who has control over the passage. It comes after the US military carried out strikes on Iran, which it said were in response to Iranian drone attacks on shipping in the Strait. US Central Command said on Friday that American aircraft hit Iranian missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites after Iran launched a one-way drone attack on the M/V Ever Lovely ship as it navigated the passage. "The Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast at the time of Iran’s attack," CENTCOM said. Tehran has since accused Washington of violating their ceasefire agreement. Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, said the US strikes showed Trump had "no commitment to the principles of negotiation or a ceasefire". "This reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, lead to retreat and regret on their part," he wrote in a post on social media. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that its forces had struck US military positions in the region in response to "US aggression", per Iranian state media. Bahrain later announced that it had been targeted by "a number" of Iranian drones, accusing Tehran of "undermining peace efforts" in the region. In a statement, the country's foreign ministry said it expressed "Bahrain’s condemnation in the strongest terms of the targeting of its territory at dawn today," adding that the attacks were a "blatant threat to the security of citizens and residents". Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Read more Bahrain says it was targeted by Iranian drones after US strikes on Iran IRGC denies direct hotline with US, as Trump warns of ceasefire violations in Strait of Hormuz UK maritime agency raises Strait of Hormuz threat level after oil tanker reports being struck Iran war Iran Strait of Hormuz