UAE says Iranian missiles struck oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz, one sailor killed

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Tuesday that a tanker had been hit by an unknown projectile while travelling 40 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Qalhat.

UKMTO said the tanker's master reported that the projectile struck the starboard-side engine room and that all crew were safe.

Reuters could not immediately verify whether the UKMTO report referred to the same incident as the one reported by the UAE's Ministry of Defence. Iran has not commented on the latest attacks.

The latest incidents in the waterway come after weeks of heightened tensions since the war broke out on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.

On Monday, President Donald Trump said the U.S. was reinstating its blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open — for a fee — while warning that U.S. forces would hit Iran again "very hard" in the coming hours after the two sides exchanged missile and drone attacks.