Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats fired on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran announced it would reimpose control over the shipping lanes.

The tanker's captain said it was approached by two speedboats belonging to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) about 37 km northeast of Oman today, according to a statement from the UK Maritime Trade Coordinator (UKMTO). The vessel received no radio warning before being targeted by the two Iranian boats.

"The tanker and crew are safe. Authorities are investigating the incident," the UKMTO said.

Hours after the initial attack, the UKMTO reported another incident in the Strait of Hormuz, where a container ship was struck by an "unidentified object," damaging several containers. The incident occurred about 46 km off the coast of Oman, with no fire or environmental damage reported.

Maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers said today that two ships, including an Indian-flagged oil tanker, were intercepted by the IRGC navy as they entered the strait. The company added that audio recordings they obtained show IRGC forces firing upon the vessels. One of the ships was a large crude oil tanker carrying approximately 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.

Iranian naval speedboats fire rockets during military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on February 17. Photo: AFP

In a Telegram post today, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that "Iran's brave navy is ready to make the enemy taste the bitterness of new defeats."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said on the sidelines of the annual diplomatic forum in Turkey that the US "cannot impose its will to encircle Iran while Tehran is trying to facilitate safe navigation through the strait."

He added that President Donald Trump posts a lot on social media and "says a lot," but the US leader's statements "are sometimes confusing and contradictory."

The Iranian deputy minister said that the country has not yet set a date for the next round of talks with the US, adding that the two sides must first reach a framework agreement.

"We are focused on finalizing the framework agreement between the two sides. We do not want to participate in any negotiations or meetings that we know will fail and could be a pretext for a new cycle of escalation," said Saeed Khatibzadeh.

Location of the Strait of Hormuz. Graphic: Guardian

On April 17, Iran announced the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in response to a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. US President Donald Trump welcomed the move but stated that Washington's blockade of Iranian ports would remain in full until a peace agreement is reached.

Iran today criticized the US blockade as "piracy" and reimposed control over the Strait of Hormuz.