A cargo ship came under gunfire near Iran’s coast in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has confirmed, the second such incident in a single day.

The agency said that the captain of an outbound vessel reported being fired upon roughly eight nautical miles west of Iran’s coastline at 0638 GMT. The ship was brought to a stop following the incident, though UKMTO said all crew members were safe and no damage to the vessel had been reported.

Earlier the same morning, at 0355 GMT, the authority had received a separate report of an incident involving a commercial vessel approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman.

The back-to-back incidents come at a fragile moment for the waterway. The US (United States) and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 8, brokered through Pakistan’s mediation. 


President Trump extended that ceasefire just hours before it was set to expire to give Iranian officials more time to present a “unified proposal”. 


Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for the extension, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to continuing its mediation efforts.

Despite the diplomatic activity, conditions on the water have remained unstable. Vessels transiting the Gulf have faced warnings, interceptions and disruptions in recent days as military posturing between the two sides has continued in parallel with negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most critical shipping lanes in the world, and authorities have repeatedly urged commercial vessels to exercise caution as ceasefire talks continue.