Iranian Boat Fires on Container Ship off Coast of Oman

An Iranian boat opened fire without warning on a container ship off the coast of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The incident took place on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 03:55 UTC, approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s coastline.

The captain of the container ship reported that a fast attack gunboat of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the vessel.

Iranian forces did not make radio contact and opened fire on the civilian ship without warning.

The strike caused serious damage to the ship’s bridge – the key control and navigation center. Despite a direct hit, no fire broke out on board.

No crew members were injured, and there are no reports of pollution or fuel leaks. The vessel is continuing its voyage under the protection of international security forces.

Militarnyi reported that on April 18, Iran attacked two vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This came after Tehran announced a renewed restriction on the passage of civilian ships.

Renewed blockade of the strait

The first announcement about reopening the Strait of Hormuz was made on April 8, 2026, when Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait was “fully open” to all commercial shipping following the start of a ceasefire in Lebanon, which began on April 16.

Transit was to take place only along routes approved by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization. This requirement was introduced because Tehran claimed it could not detect all the naval mines it had previously deployed.

However, on April 12, Donald Trump, seeking to increase pressure in negotiations, ordered the U.S. Navy to begin a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and to detain vessels that paid transit fees to Iran.

On April 16, the United States expanded its naval blockade of Iranian ports to include all Iranian vessels and sanctioned ships, regardless of their location in the world’s oceans.

According to Reuters, on April 18, some civilian vessels received radio messages from the Iranian Navy stating that the strait had been closed again and that ship traffic was prohibited.

According to an official statement by a spokesperson for Iran’s Central Headquarters, Iran blocked the passage of civilian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in response to what it described as a U.S. attempt to impose its own blockade of the strait.