# Vessel Hit by Projectile in Strait of Hormuz as Iranian Ship Attack and Harsh Rhetoric Raise Shipping Risks

*Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 6:13 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-13T06:13:36.717Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/17670.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

---

**Deck**: A vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz was hit by a projectile and an Iranian commercial ship was attacked near Hengam and Qeshm islands, leaving one dead and three injured, as sharp exchanges between Tehran and Washington highlight rising tension in a key shipping lane.

A reported projectile strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, combined with a deadly attack on an Iranian commercial ship nearby, is sharpening concern over one of the world’s most sensitive sea lanes.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations office said a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the strait. The reporting did not specify the ship’s flag, cargo, level of damage or who was responsible for the attack. Even with those gaps, the location alone matters: the Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between Iran and Oman used daily by tankers and other commercial ships moving in and out of the Gulf.

In a separate incident, an Iranian commercial vessel was attacked near Iran’s Hengam and Qeshm islands, close to the main shipping lane inside Hormuz. Iranian state media (IRIB) reported that one person was killed and three others injured.

For crews moving through the area, a projectile hit is a direct safety threat. It can mean shrapnel, fire or flooding on a ship in confined waters where turning around is difficult and help may take time to arrive.

Shipowners and insurers study each incident like this when deciding whether to keep sending vessels through Hormuz on existing terms. Even limited damage can lead to higher war‑risk premiums and tighter operating rules. That, in turn, can push up costs along shipping routes that pass through the strait.

Tension at sea is also being stoked by sharper public statements. An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy political deputy, responding to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz, said, “If that is the case, then bring it on. Move one of your warships to within 100 kilometers,” according to Fars news agency.

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has accused the United States and Israel of using technology to carry out assassinations around the region, calling them “the real terrorists in the world” and arguing that they “assassinate anybody they wish, and then they claim that these people are terrorists.” On Iran’s nuclear program, he said U.S. allegations are “just propaganda,” adding, “It is lies. It is lies,” and noted that Iran is a member of the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty.

Pezeshkian also questioned how to interpret Trump’s shifting comments on Iran, saying Trump alternates between threatening to destroy Iran and calling the country a friend, leaving Tehran unsure “what kind of statement we should, you know, accept and proceed based on which.” On regional conflicts, he said, “We are not in war with Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have their own problems.”

These incidents and statements, taken together, paint a picture of a waterway where physical attacks on vessels and hardening political language are developing at the same time.

Key developments to watch now are whether maritime authorities clarify responsibility for the projectile strike in the strait, whether there is any change in shipping or insurance terms for Hormuz traffic, and how U.S. and Iranian naval deployments and public messages evolve around the chokepoint.