US Navy strikes commercial vessel in Strait of Hormuz, five sailors remain missing

Iran has accused the United States Navy of attacking an Iranian-flagged commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving 10 sailors injured and five others missing, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.

The reported attack happened overnight in waters between the Strait of Hormuz and the Makran Sea near Oman.

Mehr said the cargo vessel was struck near the waters of Minab County and later caught fire.

According to the report, 15 sailors were on board the ship at the time of the incident.

Ten injured crew members were taken to hospital, while rescue teams and local authorities continued searching for the five missing sailors.

There was no immediate confirmation from the US military regarding the reported strike.

The incident comes amid growing tensions in the region as the US expands its naval operations linked to its blockade of Iran.

US Central Command, known as CENTCOM, said American forces are currently blocking “more than 70” vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

“These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus,” CENTCOM claimed in a post on X.

The latest confrontation is expected to raise further concerns over shipping security and military activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended recent American military actions, saying operations carried out on Thursday were “separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury”.