“Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at two commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, according to a senior U.S. official, marking an escalation that threatens to complicate negotiations to end the U.S.-Iran war.
The attacks come as Iranians mourn Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader killed at the start of the Iran war.
They also follow stepped-up threats by the powerful paramilitary force, which has been undermining talks and warning vessels not to transit the waterway using a route cleared by the U.S. military near the coast of Oman.
"Our missiles and drones are ready to fire at you," the Revolutionary Guard warned ships via maritime radio over the weekend, according to a recording shared with The Wall Street Journal.
The move to attack ships with missiles amid talks to end the war demonstrates the power wielded by the Revolutionary Guard, which has been at odds with more moderate voices in the Iranian leadership. In Iran, the Revolutionary Guard and those close to it have stood as the biggest obstacle to an agreement, the Journal has reported. The U.S. and Iran agreed last month to a 60-day period of negotiations to reach a final agreement.
One of the vessels under attack appears to be Al Rekayyat, a liquefied natural gas tanker owned and managed by Nakilat, the shipping arm of Qatar's LNG industry. Nakilat didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the early hours of Tuesday, a crew member on a ship anchored near Al Rekayyat heard a message from the vessel over the marine VHF radio.
The ship had been hit on the port side, at the top of the engine room, according to a recording shared with the Journal. "Engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage. All crew are safe and mustered on the starboard side," the recording said.” [1]
1. World News: IRGC Fires Missiles At Ships In Strait. Holliday, Shelby; Feng, Rebecca. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 07 July 2026: A7.
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