BREAKING: IRGC Gunboat Fires on Container Ship Off Oman
IRGC gunboat attacks container ship in the Gulf of Oman, causing heavy bridge damage. UKMTO issues high-level warning following a cluster of maritime attacks near the Strait of Hormuz in April 2026.
A container ship sustained heavy damage to its bridge after being fired upon by a single Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboat approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, according to a fresh warning issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The incident occurred in the strategically sensitive waters of the Gulf of Oman, near the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the UKMTO advisory, the master of the vessel reported that the IRGC gunboat approached without issuing any VHF radio challenge, standard international maritime procedure, before opening fire. The attack caused significant structural damage to the ship's bridge, but no fires, no environmental pollution, and no crew casualties were reported. All crew members are confirmed safe.
UKMTO is investigating the incident and has urged vessels transiting the area to exercise extreme caution and report any suspicious activity immediately.
This latest attack follows a cluster of similar incidents on April 18, 2026, when UKMTO reported:
No injuries were reported in those earlier attacks either.