Strait of Hormuz ship hit; 1 dead, Iran says

A merchant vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday, killing one person and injuring three, Qeshm city governor Amir Teymouri said, according to Iranian state TV.

Teymouri said the vessel was hit around 5:00 am local time, or 0130 GMT, off the coasts of Hengam and Qeshm islands. He did not specify the origin of the strike.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations monitor later said it had received reports of a vessel being struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. UKMTO said a fire broke out onboard after the reported attack and that local authorities were on the scene helping evacuate crew members.

Several explosions were reported overnight around Qeshm, the largest island in the strait.

The incident came a day before a planned meeting in Oman between Iran and Gulf states about the waterway, a key route for global oil and gas trade.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint in the conflict between Iran and the United States. Iran has blocked the waterway during the six-month war and now requires vessels to obtain authorisation to pass, citing security and sovereignty concerns. Tehran is also considering a mechanism to impose service fees.

The item said vessels that fail to comply are frequently targeted by Iranian strikes, while the United States sporadically bombs the Iranian coast in a bid to challenge Tehran's control of the strait.