An Iranian vessel was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, and the crew was evacuated after a fire broke out

A ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz was hit by a projectile on Sunday, and a fire that broke out on board prompted the evacuation of its crew, according to the British agency UKMTO, affiliated with the British navy. The incident was reported amid persistent tensions in the Middle East and the strait’s strategic importance for maritime transport and oil exports.

UKMTO said it was receiving reports of an attack and reported that the ship was hit while crossing the strait. No immediate details were provided about the ship’s identity, the perpetrators of the attack or any possible casualties.

Separately, Iranian state media reported that an Iranian commercial vessel was hit off Iran’s southern coast on Sunday morning. In this case, one person died and three others were injured.

The report of the attack on the ship came a day after Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down the East-West pipeline as a precautionary measure following a drone attack that Baghdad and Riyadh said originated in Iraq. The pipeline runs across the Arabian Peninsula and has become an important route for the region’s oil exports amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iran is due to attend a meeting with the Arab Gulf states in Oman on Monday to discuss the situation in the strait. An Iranian official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity, that the meeting was not expected to result in a decisive agreement.