US blames Iran for attack on commercial vessel off Oman coast

The US administration has blamed Iran for an attack on a commercial tanker off the coast of Oman, which caught fire after being struck by an unidentified object.

US media outlet Axios, citing two US officials, reported the information, which was confirmed by Middle East-based media Al Jazeera.

US officials claimed that Iran's military fired at least two missiles at the commercial vessel while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. One official said another vessel was also hit in the attack. Both ships sustained significant damage, but no casualties were reported.

There have been multiple attacks on commercial vessels in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, leading to tit-for-tat military actions between Washington and Tehran. The tensions escalated after a US-backed special naval corridor was announced in Omani waters, which Iran strongly opposed from the beginning.

The latest attack came just days after that. Tehran claims the move to launch this corridor off the Oman coast is a clear violation of a bilateral memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 aimed at ending the long-standing hostility between the two countries. Under the agreement, Iran claims sole legal authority over commercial vessel movement and overall security management in this vital international waterway.