Two more ships are attacked in Strait of Hormuz after Iran fired on container vessel following Trump’s ceasefire extension – Live updates

At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman just hours after Donald Trump’s ceasefire extension.

The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat. The vessel, it said, was subsequently fired upon. All crew members were safe and there was no fire or environmental impact due to the incident.

Maritime security sources said that three people were onboard that gunboat. The master of the Greek-operated container ship also reported that no radio contact was made prior to the incident and that the vessel had been initially informed that it had permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

The UKMTO later said that a second container vessel had been fired upon about eight nautical miles west of Iran. The Panama-flagged vessel was not damaged and its crew members are safe.

Maritime security sources said that a third container ship was fired upon about eight nautical miles west of Iran while transiting outbound of the Strait of Hormuz. The Liberia-flagged vessel, which was not damaged had stopped in the water. Its crew are safe, the sources said.

An Iranian gunboat fired at a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz just hours after Donald Trump announced an extension to the US-Iran ceasefire.

‘The master of a container ship reported that the vessel was approached by one IRGC gunboat… that then fired upon the vessel, which has caused heavy damage to the bridge. No fires or environmental impact reported,’ the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said.

It added that the incident took place 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman and all the crew were safe.

According to British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech, the vessel was sailing under a Liberian flag and ‘had been informed it had permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz’.

But Iranian news agency Tasnim said the ship had ‘ignored warnings from Iran’s armed forces’.

Shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been heavily restricted by Iran since the start of the war with Israel and the United States, while the US military is enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump announced Wednesday that the truce between the two countries would be extended after it first took effect on April 8.

Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday the alliance would do ‘what’s necessary to defend’ its members including Turkey after intercepting four missiles fired from Iran and head into Turkish air space over the past weeks.

Nato forces had shot down ballistic missiles fired from Iran for four times, prompting the alliance to deploy a new Patriot missile battery at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey.

‘Iran is spreading terror and chaos, and you feel this prominently here in Turkey,’ Rutte told journalists on a visit to Turkey’s largest defence electronics company Aselsan.

‘In recent weeks, Nato has successfully intercepted ballistic missiles heading to Turkey from Iran on four separate occasions,’ he said.

‘Nato is prepared for such threats and will always do what is necessary to defend Turkey and all others. And we cannot do it alone,’ he added.

The United States must end its blockade on Iran as a prerequisite for any further ceasefire talks in Islamabad, an Iranian diplomat said Wednesday.

Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, the head of the Iranian mission in Egypt, said that communications with Pakistani mediators are underway ‘to implement Iran’s conditions.’

‘We won’t negotiate under threat,’ he said. ‘We won’t go to Islamabad before the lifting of the blockade.’

He accused the US of using the ceasefire to build up more forces for a possible resumption of military action against the Islamic Republic.

‘Behind the scenes, they say something, but in public, they say and do something else,’ he said.

Israel’s foreign minister on Wednesday urged Beirut to make joint efforts with Israel to counter the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, ahead of talks between the countries set to resume in Washington.

Speaking to diplomats at a function marking Israel’s 78th Independence Day, Gideon Saar said:

Tomorrow the direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington DC. I call on the government of Lebanon – let’s work together against the terror state that Hezbollah built in your territory,

This cooperation is needed by you even more than by us. It requires moral clarity and the courage to take risks. But there is no real alternative for ensuring a future of peace for you and for us.

The Israeli military said it killed ‘two terrorists who had violated the ceasefire agreement’ in southern Lebanon after they crossed a defence line separating an IDF occupied area from the rest of the country.

The IDF said today: ‘Yesterday (Tuesday), forces identified two terrorists in the Saluki area who violated the ceasefire agreements, crossed the front defence line, and approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.

‘After identification and a quick closing of the circle, the air force attacked and eliminated the terrorists in order to remove the threat.’

Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon are now in their sixth day of a 10-day ceasefire which took effect on Friday.

by Perkin Amalaraj

British airlines have called on the government to draw up an emergency jet fuel plan, or face the possibility of a summer of holiday chaos.

Airlines UK, a trade body that represents British carriers, said UK ministers have to make preparations now if they want to avoid disruption later, warning of the ‘immediate impact on the UK aviation sector and UK consumers in the event disruption to jet fuel supply continues or worsens.’

The body called for fuel reserves to be built up by making oil refineries produce more kerosene. It also asked the US-grade fuel, which can be used by some aeroplanes, to be imported.

On top of this, Airlines UK called on the government to cut taxes and suspend some environmental regulations.

Just yesterday, Germany’s biggest carrier Lufthansa announced it was cutting a staggering 20,000 flights within Europe from May until October to save on 40,000 tons of jet fuel.

Oil prices fell and stocks were mixed Wednesday as investors assess the chances of US-Iran peace talks after Donald Trump extended his ceasefire at the eleventh hour but kept his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in place.

With the two-week truce in its final hours, the US president said he would push the deadline back indefinitely following a request from mediator Pakistan and stressing the need to give Tehran’s ‘fractured’ leadership time to form a proposal.

Both main oil contracts dropped, having risen around 3 percent Tuesday.

Equities were mixed following another down day on Wall Street.

Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore, Manila, Mumbai and Jakarta all fell, while Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei and Wellington rose.

London opened higher, even as data showed UK inflation jumped to 3.3 percent last month as the Middle East war sent oil and gas prices surging. Paris and Frankfurt also advanced.

China warned on Wednesday that the situation in the Middle East was at a ‘critical juncture’ after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire to allow Iran more time to negotiate.

‘The current regional situation stands at a critical juncture transitioning between war to peace; the paramount priority remains to make every effort to prevent a resumption of hostilities,’ Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing.

Guo did not comment directly on the ceasefire when asked about it, adding only that Beijing would continue to play a ‘constructive’ role.

A senior Iranian adviser has claimed Trump’s ceasefire extension ‘means nothing’ and is a ‘ploy to buy time for a surprise strike.’

Mahdi Mohammadi, who is an adviser to the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, went on to say: ‘The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response.’

He added: ‘The time for Iran to take the initiative has come.’

A second ship has been fired at in the Strait of Hormuz this morning, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said.

An ‘outbound cargo ship’ had informed it of being shot at eight nautical miles west of Iran.

It added that the ship has ‘now stopped in the water’, but that the crew are safe and accounted for.

‘UKMTO is aware of high levels of activity in the Strait of Hormuz area and encourages vessels to report any suspicious activity,’ it said.

It comes after an Iranian gunboat fired at a container ship overnight just hours after Trump announced a ceasefire extension.