UK maritime agency raises threat level in Strait of Hormuz after oil tanker reports being struck
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has raised the threat level in the Strait of Hormuz to 'substantial' after an oil tanker reported being hit by an unidentified projectile. The incident has escalated US-Iran tensions, leading to retaliatory strikes and accusations of ceasefire violations.
On Saturday, 27 June 2026, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency raised the threat level in the Strait of Hormuz to 'substantial' after receiving a report of an attack on a tanker. The ship's master reported that the vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile, causing damage to the bridge, but the crew was safe and no environmental damage was reported.
UKMTO warned mariners of the presence of sea mines in the strait, one of the busiest energy transit chokepoints in the world, and advised them to expect naval presence during mine clearance operations. Congestion in transit routes should also be anticipated.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a focal point of tensions between Washington and Tehran and is a key part of their recently agreed 'memorandum of understanding'. Under the provisional agreement, the US must lift its naval blockade of Iran while Tehran must reopen the strait, but both sides have clashed over control of the passage.
The latest escalation follows US military strikes on Iran, which Washington said were in response to Iranian drone attacks on shipping in the strait. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that on Friday, American aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites after Iran launched a one-way drone attack on the M/V Ever Lovely. The Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast at the time of the attack.
Tehran accused Washington of violating the ceasefire agreement. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, said the US strikes proved that President Trump had 'no commitment to the principles of negotiation or a ceasefire'. He wrote on social media that 'this reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, lead to retreat and regret on their part'.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that their forces had struck US military positions in the region in response to 'US aggression', per Iranian state media. Bahrain later announced that it had been targeted by 'a number' of Iranian drones, condemning Tehran for 'undermining peace efforts' in the region. The foreign ministry stated its 'strongest condemnation' of the attacks on its territory, calling them a 'blatant threat to the security of citizens and residents'.
