• Mourners in Tehran carry banners calling for Trump’s death.
• Iran reappoints senior officials.
• Iran’s Ghalibaf says US memorandum is ‘difficult but possible’ to enforce.

Oil tanker hit by unknown projectile east of Oman’s Limah

A tanker has reported a fire after being hit by “an unknown projectile” off the coast of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO).

The incident occurred 8 nautical miles east of Oman’s Limah whilst the ship was traveling southbound.

The projectile struck the port side of the tanker, the UKMTO said. No casualties or environmental impact were reported following the strike, and authorities are investigating, it added.

US officials blame Iran for attack that ignited fire on tanker off of Oman

There is a fire on board a tanker off the coast of Oman after it was hit by an “unknown projectile”.

Two US officials, speaking to the Axios news outlet, are blaming Iran for the attack. The officials said Iran’s military fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

One of the officials said a second vessel was also hit, and that both ships suffered significant damage, but no casualties.

The attack comes days after the US and Iran exchanged tit-for-tat strikes following earlier assaults on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The earlier assaults followed the announcement of a US-backed corridor in Omani waters in a move Iran had opposed, saying it move violates the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries on June 17 to end hostilities.

Tehran maintains the agreement gives it sole responsibility to manage shipping through the critical waterway.

UKMTO did not report about a second vessel.

Iranian media say ship attacked in Hormuz after attempting to take US-backed route

The IRIB state broadcaster, citing anonymous sources, is reporting that the oil tanker was “planning to pass through the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz with the support of the US Navy”.

The ship was “attacked after ignoring repeated warnings”.

IRIB said no Iranian official has yet confirmed or denied the report.

Iran has warned ships against transiting the Strait of Hormuz through the southern route in Oman’s waters and insists all passage through the waterway must be coordinated with its military.

Attack on tanker off of Oman could be linked to Iranian mine-clearing operations

Hossein Royvaran, a Tehran-based analyst, says it is not yet clear why the tanker off the coast of Oman was targeted, noting that Iran has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

He suggested one explanation was that the vessel had strayed into an area where Iranian teams were engaged in mine-clearing operations.

“The area near Oman is likely full of mines,” he said. “There is a possibility that these ships headed in directions where Iranian teams in that area are clearing mines, and the ships’ movement might have threatened those teams,” he said.

Royvaran said the ship’s position off the Omani coast indicated it had been attempting the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran does not endorse.

He said Tehran had mined that stretch of water while keeping shipping lanes closer to its own coast clear, allowing traffic to continue unimpeded there.

“There is no restriction in this regard and even the number of ships coming and going is large,” he said.

Araghchi says negotiations ‘will not commence’ amid threats

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that negotiations on a final deal “will not commence” if threats continue, citing paragraph 13 of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US.

Araghchi added that “millions of proud Iranians” were gathering for the funerals of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Neither them nor our Brave Armed Forces are moved by any threats,” he said on X. “Honour your signature,” he added.

The comment came after US President Donald Trump said the US would either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job”.

“We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply…. ‌They ⁠don’t have any money now. We haven’t given them any money,” he told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.

The US-Iran dispute in the Strait of Hormuz

• On June 24, Oman and the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced a new temporary corridor along the Omani coast, overseen by the US, for the evacuation of stranded vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran’s military immediately rejected the move, saying the route was announced without consultation.
• Days later, it launched attacks on two ships using the corridor, forcing a halt to the IMO evacuation plan.
• In response, the US launched attacks on Iran’s southern coast on June 26 and 27, prompting Iran to retaliate by firing missiles towards US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
• Iran insists that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with the US on June 16 gives it sole responsibility for overseeing shipping in the strait.
• Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has called the Strait of Hormuz Tehran’s “greatest instrument of power”, while the Iranian military has said ships transiting the waterway must use “authorised” routes or face a “forceful response”.
• Iran is also in talks with Oman to charge fees for services in the waterway, but the US and other Gulf Arab states say they oppose any transit fees there.

At least 108 vessels crossed Strait of Hormuz between July 3 - 5

Between July 3 and 5, a total of 108 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz, according to data analyst company, Kpler.

In a post on X, the data tracking company said that traffic was “slightly weighted east to west and remained spread across predominantly Iranian and Omani routes”.

“While some crossings continued among IMO (International Maritime Organization) and Dark/Unknown routes. This shows continued operations but fragmented routing patterns and cautious behavior,” it said.

“Sanctioned vessel activity was also present, with 14 crossings recorded. While the Strait remained open, a sizeable Dark/Unknown Route share and end-June IMO-confirmed attacks suggest that security, routing and insurance risks remain elevated,” it added.