Following the report of the attack, the IRGC issued a statement to Iranian state news, declaring that they are prepared to confront any new aggression.
A container ship sailing 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman was fired upon by an IRGC gunboat, sustaining significant damage to its bridge but leaving all crew members unharmed, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported Wednesday.
Following the report of the attack, the IRGC issued a statement to Iranian state news, declaring that they are prepared to confront any new aggression.
The statement emphasized the group's readiness to "inflict crushing blows on the enemy's remaining assets" if renewed conflict arises.
Additionally, the terror group stressed the need for vigilance in what it described as the “silent battlefield,” and for close monitoring of enemy actions during the “so-called ceasefire,” though it did not clarify what it meant by the term.
Trump extends Iran-US ceasefire
The attack comes after United States President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran will be extended until Iranian officials submit a "unified proposal" for discussion. This announcement was made in a post on Truth Social.
Trump explained that the decision to extend the ceasefire, which was originally set to expire on Wednesday, was made "based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured" and also at the request of Pakistani officials.
Previous IRGC attacks on the Strait of Hormuz
Last week, in reaction to the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian military announced it was reasserting its military control over the strait.
The Iranian military statement emphasized that "as long as the United States does not ensure full freedom of navigation for vessels traveling to and from Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled."
Following Iran's threat, at least two merchant vessels reported being hit by gunfire while attempting to cross the Strait, according to three maritime security and shipping sources.
The extent of the damage was not immediately clear; however, UKMTO stated it had received a report that a tanker was fired upon by "two gunboats linked to the IRGC" approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
The captain of the tanker reported that the two gunboats opened fire without issuing a radio challenge. UKMTO noted in its advisory that the vessel and its crew were safe.
