UK maritime agency raises Strait of Hormuz threat level after oil tanker reports being struck in International Shipping News 28/06/2026 It comes after the US military carried out strikes on Iran, which it said were in response to Iranian drone attacks on shipping in the Strait. The UKMTO maritime agency raised its threat level in the Strait of Hormuz to “substantial” on Saturday following attacks on commercial vessels in the waterway. The agency said earlier on Saturday that the “Master of Tanker” ship had reported being struck by an “unidentified projectile” in the Strait. It said the vessel had sustained damage to its bridge but that the crew had reported as safe. “No environmental damage reported at present,” it added. UKMTO has warned mariners of the existence of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the busiest energy transit chokepoints in the world, and said that they should expect to encounter naval presence as mine clearance operations continue. “Mariners should also expect congestion through transit routes,” it said. The Strait of Hormuz has been at the centre of tensions between Washington and Tehran, and it is a crucial part of their recently agreed “memorandum of understanding”. Under the terms of the provisional agreement, the US is required to remove its naval blockade of Iran while Tehran must reopen the Strait, but they have clashed over who has control over the passage. It comes after the US military carried out strikes on Iran, which it said were in response to Iranian drone attacks on shipping in the Strait. US Central Command said on Friday that American aircraft hit Iranian missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites after Iran launched a one-way drone attack on the M/V Ever Lovely ship as it navigated the passage. “The Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast at the time of Iran’s attack,” CENTCOM said. Tehran has since accused Washington of violating their ceasefir