One person was killed and 3 others injured after an Iranian commercial vessel was targeted early Sunday between Qeshm and Hengam islands, according to the Qeshm Island governor, coinciding with a report that a vessel was hit by a projectile of unknown origin while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Qeshm governor said what he described as “the enemy” had targeted the Iranian vessel, without identifying the party he accused of carrying out the attack.
Assessment of damage to vessel and Saudi oil pipeline
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said the crew’s condition, the extent of the damage and the incident’s environmental impact were still being assessed. The incident has heightened concerns over the security of energy supplies through the region, after Saudi Arabia announced the temporary closure of the oil pipeline linking the country’s east and west as a precautionary measure.
Closure of Strait of Hormuz puts pressure on oil exports
Over the past six months, it has become a main route for Middle Eastern oil exports, as the Strait of Hormuz has remained largely closed because of the war. No party has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Satellite images showed black smoke rising from an area along the pipeline south of Medina. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the attack caused injuries and damage that were being assessed, without providing details on its impact on exports.
US President Donald Trump attributed likely responsibility for the attack to Iran, while Tehran said it would take part on Monday in a meeting with Arab Gulf states hosted by Oman to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Iranian official, who declined to be identified, played down the chances of a breakthrough at the meeting, ruling out the signing of an agreement.
Iran links US dialogue to acceptance of its conditions
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee, said dialogue with Washington would not be worthwhile unless the United States accepted all of Tehran’s conditions. The two countries have held no talks to end the conflict since an agreement reached in June last year collapsed weeks after it was concluded.
Tasnim news agency quoted a source as saying that an Iranian-Omani agreement on transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz would be presented at Monday’s meeting in the presence of Iraq. The source added that the strait would not be reopened unless 7 Iranian conditions conveyed to the United States were met, without explaining their content. Iran is demanding recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow it to collect fees from transiting vessels, a demand Washington rejects.
Oman, which controls the opposite shore of the strait, says it is conducting negotiations with the approval of other countries in the region. Pressure on energy markets intensified over the past week, with Brent crude rising above 100 dollars per barrel and diesel prices at US gas stations exceeding 6 dollars per gallon for the first time.
This followed an exchange of attacks by Washington and Tehran on oil tankers and the Houthis’ advance along the Red Sea. In a separate development, Saudi Civil Defense said Saturday that 2 people were injured and several buildings, including a mosque, were damaged by a projectile the Houthis had launched at the Jazan region.
Yemeni government sources also said the Houthis took control on Friday of Mayyun Island at the entrance to the Red Sea in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
