A vessel caught fire early Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, eight nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman, the British military's UK Maritime Trade Operations office reported, adding the cause remains unverified. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed two oil tankers exploded after attempting a southern transit route, alleging the US military had directed the ships into the unsafe passage.
The fire coincided with a new round of US airstrikes on Iran early Monday, marking the ninth straight night of operations, after the US and Israel first attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran has retaliated by striking US-allied nations including Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. A US service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone, bringing the total US fatalities to 17 since the war began.
A ceasefire attempt collapsed in April in Islamabad, though the parties have since drafted a memorandum committing to a peace deal within 60 days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US remains open to a diplomatic resolution with Iran.