Iran's Revolutionary Guard Attacks Container Ship Off Oman's Coast Amid Tensions

Iran's Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a container ship off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, damaging the vessel and raising tensions after planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to materialise . Meanwhile, the British military later said that another ship had come under attack in the strategic Strait, through which 20 per cent of global oil supplies pass. The attacks came after US President Donald Trump said the country has indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran , which had been due to expire on Wednesday, to give Tehran time to come up with a “unified proposal” ahead of possible negotiations. Iran has offered no formal acknowledgment of Trump's ceasefire extension. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the attack happened around 7:55 am in the strait and targeted a container ship. The UKMTO said a Guard gunboat did not hail the ship before firing and added that the incident took place 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman and all the crew were safe. "The master of a container ship reported that the vessel was approached by one IRGC gunboat... that then fired upon the vessel, which has caused heavy damage to the bridge. No fires or environmental impact reported," it said. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the assault. However, Iran's Nour News reported that the Guard only opened fire on the ship after it had "ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces". Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency described the attack as Iran "lawfully enforcing" its control over the Strait of Hormuz. The attack comes after the US seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.