Iranian media says US strike killed 2 crew members aboard LPG tanker near Strait of Hormuz

by Maha Shahid

Iran’s state broadcaster reported Friday that a US missile strike on an LPG tanker approaching the Strait of Hormuz killed two crew members after the vessel was allegedly mistaken for carrying Iranian gas.

Citing an informed source, IRIB said the US military fired two missiles at the tanker Friday afternoon as it was approaching the region from the Sea of Oman.

According to the report, the vessel was targeted because US forces believed it was transporting Iranian gas.

The report said two crew members were killed and the vessel’s engine room was damaged, leaving the tanker disabled.

The US military has not commented on the claims.

Earlier Friday, the Indian Embassy in Tehran said the Mozambique-flagged LPG tanker Meda, carrying 28 Indian crew members, came under attack in Iranian territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz but that all Indian nationals aboard were safe.

It was not immediately clear whether the tanker mentioned by IRIB was the same vessel referred to by the Indian Embassy.

Regional tensions have escalated since President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire outlined in last month’s US-Iran memorandum of understanding was no longer in effect.

Since then, the US and Iran have exchanged strikes, disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and raising renewed concerns over global energy supplies.

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