TEHRAN, Sep 13 (Alliance News): A ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, killing one person and injuring three others, Iranian local authorities said, as Tehran and Washington continue to clash over the strategic waterway.
Qeshm city governor Amir Teymouri said a merchant vessel was struck around 5:00am (0130 GMT) off the coasts of Hengam and Qeshm islands. He did not specify the origin of the strike, according to Iranian state television.
“One person was killed and three others were injured,” Teymouri said.
Several explosions were reported overnight around Qeshm, the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident came a day before a meeting between Iran and Gulf states in Oman, which also borders the strategic waterway, to discuss the blockade of the route crucial to global oil and gas trade.
Control over the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major flashpoint in the conflict between Iran and the United States during their six-month war.
Iran blocked the waterway in retaliation for attacks by the United States and Israel that began on February 28. Before the conflict, the passage had remained free and unobstructed.
Iran now requires vessels to obtain authorisation to pass through the strait, citing security and sovereignty concerns, and is considering a mechanism to impose service fees.
Vessels that fail to comply are frequently targeted by Iranian strikes, while the United States has sporadically bombed the Iranian coast in an effort to challenge Tehran’s control of the strategic waterway.
