Southern Red Sea tensions rise as tanker reports nearby projectile incident

WEB DESK: Tensions in the southern Red Sea have increased after a tanker reported a projectile landing in proximity to the vessel, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

UKMTO said it received a report of an “incident” in the southern Red Sea, where a tanker witnessed a splash caused by an unknown projectile near the vessel.

The maritime security agency said the ship and its crew remained safe following the incident, while the environmental impact remains unconfirmed.

UKMTO advised vessels operating in the area to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity as authorities continue to investigate the incident.

The development comes as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz to follow security protocols set by Tehran.

Iran says it has halted ‘retaliatory operations’ in the Gulf but warns that if the US continues its attacks, the conflict will expand across the region.

Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia had a message for the US ahead of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. pic.twitter.com/msgMWauDmb

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The IRGC said a designated route has been established for maritime traffic, warning that vessels challenging the security corridor could face targeting.

Iran has also claimed that mines have been placed in undisclosed locations in the Strait of Hormuz to target ships that violate the designated passage. However, there has been no independent confirmation regarding the presence or number of such mines.

Meanwhile, the IRGC has claimed that more than 200 US troops have been killed in retaliatory strikes launched after what it described as a breach of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

According to Iran’s state news agency, IRGC spokesperson Gen Hossein Mohabi said Washington’s official casualty figures do not reflect the actual losses, claiming the number of wounded US personnel also exceeds 200.

Mohabi said Iranian forces targeted eight US military bases across the region and destroyed 20 protective shelters at one of the sites during the retaliatory operations.

He called on the US government to allow journalists access to the allegedly affected military installations, saying independent visits would reveal the extent of the damage.

The IRGC spokesperson also reiterated earlier claims that Iranian strikes over the past two weeks destroyed 11 US military aircraft and helicopters, including 17 drones, an F-15 fighter jet, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, a C-17 transport aircraft and eight aerial refuelling aircraft.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr said military operations against the United States would continue until the “enemy fully surrenders” and what he described as revenge for the killing of children is achieved.

He said smoke rising across the region indicated that US military, security and financial facilities had been targeted, adding that the operations reflected the determination of the Iranian people and would continue until their objectives were met.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would decide how and when to restore maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that there is no military solution to conflicts in Yemen, the Bab al-Mandab Strait or other regional disputes, stressing that negotiations remain the only viable path toward resolving these issues.

The reported Red Sea incident, Iranian claims regarding maritime security measures, mines in the Strait of Hormuz, US troop casualties and military losses have not been independently verified.