Security tension has returned to the waters of the Strait of Hormuz with force, with an Iranian commercial ship being attacked off the southern coast of Iran, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of three others, coinciding with the recording of another ship accident while crossing the Strait, which raises fears of a threat to navigation traffic and global energy supplies.
Official Iranian media reported, citing the governor of Qeshm Island, that an Iranian commercial ship was attacked early Sunday off the coast of southern Iran, killing one person and wounding three others.
Earlier, authorities specialized in tracking maritime shipping movement reported receiving news of a new attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, amid mounting fears of continued incidents that threaten the security of navigation and energy supplies through the strategic sea lane.
The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority said that it had received a report that a ship had been hit by a missile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, explaining that the extent of the damage and the condition of the crew members had not become clear until early Sunday.
The attack comes in light of the expansion of the war in the Middle East, raising fears that repeated attacks on ships and shipping traffic will push energy prices to higher levels, after last week witnessed the price of Brent crude rise again to more than $100 per barrel.
On the political track, no talks have been held between the United States and Iran to end the conflict since the agreement concluded last June before it collapsed within weeks.
In this context, the head of the National Security Committee in the Iranian Parliament, Ibrahim Azizi, said in a post on the “X” platform on Saturday: “As long as the American side does not accept all of Iran’s conditions, there is no point in dialogue and negotiations.”
In parallel with the escalation, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Tehran will participate on Monday in a meeting with Arab Gulf states in the Sultanate of Oman, dedicated to discussing the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tasnim News Agency quoted a source as saying that an agreement between Iran and Oman regarding transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz will be presented during the meeting, in which Iraq is scheduled to participate.
The source indicated that the Strait will not be reopened unless 7 conditions that Iran conveyed to the United States are met, without revealing the nature of those conditions.
Iran demands recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz, allowing it to collect fees from passing ships, a demand rejected by Washington.
On the other hand, the Sultanate of Oman, which controls the opposite bank of the strait, says that it is conducting negotiations with the approval of other countries in the region, in an attempt to reach arrangements that guarantee the movement of navigation and prevent further escalation.
The new attack comes on the eve of the Oman meeting, putting the upcoming negotiations before a more difficult test, between Tehran’s conditions, Washington’s rejection, and the region’s countries’ fears that the strait will turn into an open arena for escalation, threatening international navigation and energy supplies.
