Strait of Hormuz security concerns after UKMTO reports cargo ship attacked by small craft

A northbound cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz reported an attack by several small craft, a British military shipping monitor said on Sunday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said all crew were safe after the incident. The report came amid wider tensions in and around the strait since the Iran war began.

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The monitor said the incident happened off Sirik, Iran, east of the strait. It described it as the first reported attack in the area since April 22. The wider threat level stayed critical, as Iran has attacked and threatened vessels. Iranian patrol boats can be difficult to detect.

Strait of Hormuz attack reports and shipping warnings

Iranian outlets Fars and Tabnak said Iran denied any attack. The reports said a passing ship was stopped for a documents check as part of monitoring. Iranian officials have said they control the strait. They have also claimed some ships can pass if they pay a toll, which challenged navigation norms.

The British monitor also said ships near Ras al-Khaimah got radio warnings to leave anchorages. Ras al-Khaimah is the northernmost emirate in the United Arab Emirates. It sits close to the strait. The source of the VHF messages was unclear.

US President Donald Trump last month ordered the US military to shoot and kill small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the strait. A fragile three-week ceasefire appeared to be holding. However, Trump told journalists on Saturday that more strikes remained possible.

Strait of Hormuz proposal talks and US response

Tehran said it was studying Washington’s reply to its latest proposal on ending the war. Iran’s judiciary Mizan news agency cited Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. "But at this stage, we have no nuclear negotiations,\" Baghaei said. Iran’s nuclear programme has long shaped tensions with the United States.

Iran’s proposal aimed to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire, state-linked media reported. It sought other issues resolved within 30 days. Trump said on Saturday that the proposal was under review. Trump also voiced doubt it would produce a deal.

Semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim said Iran presented a 14-point proposal. It called for the US to lift sanctions and end the US naval blockade. It also demanded US forces leave the region. It sought an end to hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon.

Iran sent the proposal through Pakistan, which hosted face-to-face talks last month. Two Pakistani officials spoke on condition of anonymity. They said Pakistan’s prime minister, foreign minister and army chief urged direct US-Iran talks. On Sunday, Abbas Araghchi also spoke with officials in Oman, Brazil and Spain.

Strait of Hormuz tolls, sanctions and oil trade disruption

Trump has offered a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Around a fifth of global oil and natural gas trade usually passes there. Fertiliser shipments also pass through and support farmers worldwide. Iran’s actions after the war began on Feb 28 have unsettled global markets.

Ali Nikzad spoke on Sunday while visiting port facilities on Larak Island. \"Tehran will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions,\" Nikzad said. The US warned firms they could face sanctions for paying Iran, including with digital assets.

The US naval blockade since April 13 has cut into Iran’s oil income. The US Central Command said on Sunday that 49 commercial ships were told to turn back. \"We think that theyve gotten less than USD 1.3 million in tolls, which is a pittance on their previous daily oil revenues,\" Scott Bessent told Fox News.

Bessent said Iran’s oil storage was filling quickly. \"He said Irans oil storage is rapidly filling up and theyre going to have to start shutting in wells, which we think could be in the next week.\" The figures were offered as part of US assessments of the pressure on Tehran.

Strait of Hormuz tensions and Iran’s weakening rial

Iran’s currency weakened again on Sunday, the second day of the working week. In Tehran’s Ferdowsi Street, the main exchange area, the dollar traded at 1,840,000 rials. Analysts said the rial could fall further. It was at 1.3 million to the dollar in December, which sparked protests.

Prices in Tehran stayed unstable, with some goods rising daily. Iranian media reports said some factories did not renew worker contracts after the Iranian new year in March. Those reports said many people lost jobs. Yousef Pezeshkian wrote on Telegram that both sides saw themselves as winners.

The British monitor’s attack report, Iran’s continued stance, and US pressure measures showed how fragile shipping conditions remained near the Strait of Hormuz. Officials on multiple sides described proposals and warnings, while vessels faced new risks. At the same time, Iran’s economic strain deepened as the rial fell and trade disruptions continued.

With inputs from PTI