Vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO reports - CNN

**Vessel Struck in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO Reports**

*Tehran, 13 September 2026* – The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that a commercial vessel was struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, a narrow waterway that funnels roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies. Iranian state media later identified the ship as an Iranian‑flagged bulk carrier bound for the United Arab Emirates. According to Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, one crew member was killed and three others were injured in the blast; Al Jazeera and Reuters reported the casualty figure as one dead and four wounded. The Iranian authorities have not publicly disclosed the exact cause of the strike, but they have pledged a thorough investigation and have warned that any hostile action in the region will be met with a “firm and decisive” response.

The incident comes amid heightened geopolitical friction in the Gulf, where Iran and the United States have exchanged threats over the past months. The UKMTO, which monitors maritime traffic for the International Maritime Organization, issued an advisory urging vessels to exercise “extreme caution” and to follow established navigation lanes. Shipping companies, including major oil tankers, have begun to reroute vessels farther south to avoid the area, prompting a modest uptick in freight rates and raising concerns among market analysts about potential disruptions to global energy supplies. The United States Navy confirmed that several warships were operating in the vicinity, but declined to comment on any direct involvement.

Iran’s foreign ministry has lodged a formal protest with the United Nations, accusing “unidentified hostile actors” of violating international law and endangering civilian maritime traffic. In a parallel development, the European Union’s High‑Level Steering Group on Maritime Security called for an immediate, impartial investigation under the framework of the International Maritime Organization. Until the cause of the strike is clarified, experts warn that the Strait of Hormuz—already a flashpoint for regional rivalry—could see a surge in insurance premiums and a slowdown in oil flows, underscoring the strategic vulnerability of this narrow maritime choke‑point.