Tanker struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says
UK Maritime Trade Operations says it is the third unexplained strike on an outbound tanker through the strait since September.
Published · Updated
Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
UpdateFriday, October 2, 2026 at 11:57 AM ET
UKMTO says the projectile that struck the outbound tanker caused a fire and a blackout on board.
A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while sailing outbound through the Strait of Hormuz, UK Maritime Trade Operations said.
UKMTO said the strike is at least the third it has reported against outbound tankers in the strait this fall, after one on September 21 and another on October 1. UKMTO said the October 1 strike set a tanker on fire.
The new strike comes after Hassett said the US Navy had reopened the strait and that crude was flowing freely again, following weeks of tanker strikes and a US military buildup that began after Trump rejected Iran's latest ceasefire offer. The US had reinforced forces near the strait after a strike Iran's PGSA blamed on UAE-linked vessels, and mediators had said a transit-for-blockade deal was gaining ground in the days before the strikes began.
Another unexplained hit on an outbound tanker so soon after an unconditional reopening announcement tests whether that declaration reflects a real change in conditions on the water or another claim that has outpaced events, a pattern this standoff has shown for weeks. If outbound traffic is still drawing fire despite the reopening, the gap between official statements and the physical risk tankers face through Hormuz remains unresolved.