Iran claims strike on LPG tanker taking ‘illegal route’ through Hormuz

In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the Revolutionary Guards said Iranian forces had “taken control of the administration of the strait”, reiterating Tehran's efforts to regulate shipping through the strategic waterway amid the ongoing Middle East war.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday (October 9) that it had struck a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via what Tehran described as an “illegal route”, as maritime authorities separately reported a projectile strike that triggered a fire aboard a vessel off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coast.

The two reports identified different vessels, and it was not immediately clear whether the incidents were connected.

In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the Revolutionary Guards said Iranian forces had “taken control of the administration of the strait”, reiterating Tehran's efforts to regulate shipping through the strategic waterway amid the ongoing Middle East war.

“In carrying out this mission, a few hours ago, a giant LPG carrier named NV Sunshine, owned by NatWit, which was attempting to transit via the illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz, was struck,” the IRGC said.

Iran has sought to impose control over the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began in late February, insisting that vessels obtain its permission to cross through routes designated by Tehran. However, some ships have increasingly attempted to transit through an alternative route along the strait's southern coast.

Fire reported aboard tanker off UAE coast

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said a vessel had been struck by a projectile approximately 13 nautical miles (24 kilometres) off Al Jazeera Al Hamra in the UAE, southwest of the Strait of Hormuz.

The incident caused a fire aboard the ship, UKMTO said in a statement on Friday.

“The status of the crew, damage assessment and environmental impact are unknown at present. Authorities are investigating,” the agency said.

British maritime security firm Vanguard also reported the incident, identifying the vessel as the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker GEM NO.2.

The available reports did not establish a connection between the reported strike on the NV Sunshine LPG carrier claimed by Iran and the projectile incident involving GEM NO.2 off the UAE coast.

The latest reports come days after another tanker was struck off Qatar, approximately 500 kilometres (300 miles) west of the Strait of Hormuz.

Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint

Ships operating in the Gulf and those attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz have faced repeated attacks since the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran in late February.

The strait is the only maritime passage into and out of the Gulf and serves as a critical route for global energy supplies. Before the war, approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the waterway.

Iran has sought to restrict traffic through the strait, although some vessels have continued to cross. US media reports have also described American military efforts to protect ships using the southern route.

The United States, meanwhile, has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports and has occasionally fired on vessels linked to Tehran, further intensifying the confrontation over maritime access.

The competing efforts to control shipping through the waterway have heightened risks for commercial vessels and added to concerns over the security of global energy supplies.