Vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says, as talks appear elusive
BANDAR ABBAS, IRAN – SEPTEMBER 12: Daily life continues in the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, as Iranians spend time along the city’s waterfront at sunset in Bandar Abbas, Iran on September 12, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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A vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said Sunday, as direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran appeared no nearer to resuming.
The British maritime security alert service said in a post on X that it received a report of the attack late on Saturday by an unknown projectile while the vessel was transiting the Strait.
A fire broke out onboard, and local authorities were on the scene helping to evacuate crew members, UKMTO said.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official dismissed hopes of fresh talks.
“No negotiations. Until Iran’s terms are met, talks are futile,” Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said in a post on X.
But Iran has been reaching out to neighboring countries, despite months of striking them in retaliation for U.S. attacks.
A senior Iranian government official and Gulf diplomat told MS NOW that officials from Iran and Gulf countries would meet in Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Monday to sign an agreement establishing an Iran-Oman shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
The official added that there are no current negotiations taking place with the U.S.
NEW DELHI, INDIA – SEPTEMBER 12: (—-EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY CREDIT – ‘IRANIAN PRESIDENCY / HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS—-) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit at the Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi on September 12, 2026. (Photo by Iranian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Speaking at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country will not surrender, adding that it has resisted aggression from the U.S. and Israel.
“Iran has successfully stood against Israel and the U.S.,” Pezeshkian said.
“Since we are seeking truth and justice, we will not yield in front of bullying arrogance,” he added.
Pezeshkian’s comments over the weekend came on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran would have wiped out Israel and the Middle East, and started hitting U.S. cities, if Washington had not taken military action against Iran.
“If I had it to do again, I would do exactly what I did,” Trump said on Thursday.
Tit-for-tat attacks
There have been numerous tit-for-tat attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.
U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said on Wednesday it destroyed 10 Iranian tankers the…
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