A projectile hits a ship off the coast of the Emirates... and Iran is boarded in Hormuz

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In conjunction with the Revolutionary Guard’s threat to “punish any ships that commit violations outside Hormuz,” a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates was attacked by an unknown projectile, causing a fire that was put out.

The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority (UKMTO) announced on Friday that the projectile hit the ship 13 nautical miles west of the island region in the Emirates, explaining that the condition of the crew members, the extent of the damage and the environmental impact of the accident are still unknown yet.

It also indicated that the authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident, while advising ships passing through the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activities to the authority.

The statement did not specify the identity of the ship or the party responsible for the accident.

Simultaneously, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's naval forces announced the targeting of "a giant ship loaded with liquefied gas and a fire broke out on board," claiming that the ship "tried to cross through the illegal southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, which led to the outbreak of a widespread fire in the engine room and propulsion system."

In addition, the Revolutionary Guard Navy claimed in a statement, “imposing sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz,” contradicting US President Donald Trump’s repeated assertion that the US military controls transit traffic in the strategic strait.

It also indicated that “punitive measures will be taken against all ships belonging to companies that violate” transit instructions in the Strait of Hormuz. She said, "As of now, confrontation with violating ships will not be limited to the Strait of Hormuz. Rather, any ship that passes through an unauthorized passage will be pursued, and its punishment will be certain."

These developments came after the US Central Command (Centcom) previously confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz is open to maritime navigation, denying the validity of the Revolutionary Guard’s statements regarding its closure, and stressing that Tehran does not control the strategic waterway.

The Central Command said, in exclusive statements to Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath, that American forces are present in the Strait of Hormuz region, and are providing the necessary protection for commercial ships, as part of its efforts to ensure the continuation of navigation and the flow of global energy supplies.

This also came as Iran indicated a response to American comments on the “Seven-Day Plan” within days, a proposal that is primarily related to the Strait of Hormuz, which represents a major axis in the efforts aimed at stopping hostilities and resuming negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

While the importance of the strait comes in light of the sharp decline in navigation traffic through it; Kpler data showed that only seven cargo ships crossed the strait on Tuesday, the lowest level since July 23.

Note that before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, about 125 large commercial ships, including oil and gas tankers, bulk cargo ships, and containers, were crossing the strait daily, and the shipments passing through it represented about a fifth of the global supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.