News Desk
WASHINGTON: An Iranian-flagged commercial vessel was struck in waters near the Strait of Hormuz and the Makran coastal region of Oman overnight, leaving at least ten sailors injured and five others missing, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.
The report said the incident occurred as a cargo ship, carrying 15 crew members, came under attack near Minab County waters before catching fire. Ten sailors were subsequently transferred to hospital for treatment, while search and rescue operations continued into Friday to establish the fate of the remaining crew members.
The circumstances of the strike remain disputed. Iranian accounts suggested the vessel was targeted in an operation involving US naval forces, while Washington has not independently confirmed the details of the incident as described by Iranian media. The claims have not been verified through neutral maritime monitoring channels.
The incident comes amid sharply heightened tensions between Iran and the United States in the wider Gulf region, where maritime security has remained fragile due to recurring confrontations involving military assets, commercial shipping routes and regional proxy dynamics.
In parallel developments, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that American forces had inflicted what he described as “great damage” on Iranian targets following an exchange in which three US Navy destroyers were reportedly engaged. Writing on his Truth Social platform, he said there had been no damage to the US vessels, but claimed Iranian attackers had suffered significant losses, using highly figurative language to describe drone activity during the confrontation.
