An oil tanker was hit with a projectile off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report Tuesday that highlighted the ongoing dangers for shipping companies attempting to use the waterway while Iran holds it in firm control.
The attack came as a high-level delegation from Pakistan, which has been a main mediator between the United States and Iran, was wrapping up meetings in Tehran with the goal of bringing a negotiated end to the nearly six-month old war.
Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Monday. Full coverage can be found here.
Oil tanker hit and disabled off the eastern coast of Oman
The oil tanker was hit Monday night a few miles off the east coast of Oman, according to a report Tuesday from the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization.
The unknown projectile hit the engine of the ship and disabled it, but all crew have been reported safe, the UKMTO said.
There were no immediate reports of any environmental impact from the attack, but oil spills from other ships damaged during the war have caused growing concerns about ecological damage.
About a fifth of the world's traded oil was shipped through the Strait of Hormuz freely before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Iran now has a stranglehold on the shipping traffic through the strait and periodically fires at vessels attempting to transit, though there was no immediate claim for Monday's attack.
The U.S. is also operating a blockade of Iranian ports and has fired on vessels.
Pakistani officials say ‘highly positive’ talks held with Iran
A delegation from Pakistan led by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir departed Tehran on Tuesday after talks with Iran’s president and other senior officials on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviving stalled negotiations to end the Iran-U.S. conflict, the Pakistani military said.
Pakistan has sought to mediate a resolution between Iran and the U.S., maintaining contacts with officials in both countries and urging them to resolve their differences.
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who accompanied Munir, said their meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had been “very positive and productive,” focused on eventually bringing about an end to the conflict.
“Significant progress was made, and the meeting concluded on a highly positive note,” Naqvi said in a post on X. He added, “We remain hopeful that this momentum will help pave the way for further progress and lasting peace in the region.”
Discussions also included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the military said.
Iran and Oman, which is on the opposite side of the strait from Iran, are currently finalizing their own proposal for managing the waterway, but it remains unclear whether it would be a plan acceptable to the U.S.
Oman's foreign minister was to meet with Iranian authorities Tuesday.
No answers a year after Israeli soldiers kill 22 Palestinians including journalists and rescuers
Tuesday marked one year since Israeli soldiers killed 22 Palestinians, including journalists and rescue workers, in a double strike on a hospital in Gaza that provoked global outrage. No one has been held accountable.
Israeli officials said the target was a suspected Hamas camera on the roof of Nasser Hospital. Among those killed were Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri and Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who worked for The Associated Press and other news organizations.
Despite repeated requests by the AP, the army has not provided details about the investigation or a timeline for when it could be completed. Rights groups say Israel rarely holds troops accountable for killing Palestinians, pointing to long investigations that rarely lead to prosecution.
China warns about US sanctions threat disrupting Iran cooperation
China's Foreign Ministry says it is closely following plans announced by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to expand sanctions to entities and individuals linked to Iran, including some based in China.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China-Iran cooperation “should not be disrupted or undermined,” noting that it had been conducted in accordance with international law.
China is one of Iran's biggest trading partners and purchases the majority of its total oil exports.
The Treasury Department on Monday said it was imposing sanctions on nearly 60 Iran-linked entities, including several based in China.
But Bessent stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Iran, which Bessent said was because he wanted countries to have an opportunity to shift away from Iran before it was too late.
He did not name any countries that could face sanctions, saying “they know who they are.”
Lin said unilateral sanctions “lack a basis in international law” and added that economic warfare would only “further exacerbate tensions.”
