British Maritime Authority: A cargo ship was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz

The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority said on Saturday that a bulk cargo ship was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, resulting in damage to its hull.

The authority explained that the crew members are fine, noting that there have been no reports of a damage assessment, and that the environmental impact is still unknown.

Navigation traffic in the Strait of Hormuz fell below the monthly average near the end of the week, due to tension between the United States and Iran and each other’s claim to control it.

The newly appointed commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force said the Strait of Hormuz is “under Iran’s control and management.”

Meanwhile, the United States said on Thursday that it is able to continue the naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and said it intends to intensify economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire negotiations falter.

Cargo ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz witnessed a slight increase on Thursday, but remained below the daily average of 12 ships for the month, according to Kpler data for the month of August from its beginning until now.

According to Kpler data, a total of nine ships crossed the corridor on Thursday, an increase from five ships the previous day. This included five ships entering the Gulf and four exiting the Gulf of Oman, most of them via the Iranian shipping route.