U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 6, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty Images
A cargo ship was hit by a projectile while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, Britain’s Maritime and Trade Affairs Agency said on Tuesday, signaling continued risks to navigation in the waterway as the US and Iranian governments strengthened their positions.
The attack damaged the engine room and injured the crew, the maritime agency said, adding that the remaining crew members were being assisted by the Oman Coast Guard.
The incident came after Iranian military officials repeatedly threatened that the Islamic State group would not retreat across the Strait of Hormuz. Fox News reported on Tuesday that Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said ships attempting to pass through the strait “will find some beautiful holes in their hulls.”
The U.S. and Iranian governments have refused further talks after a 60-day negotiated ceasefire agreement reached in mid-June aimed at widening the scope for diplomatic engagement expired on Monday without a formal follow-up agreement.
Eurasia Group’s analyst team said in a note on Monday that since neither side sees an urgent need to make concessions, “both sides will likely cling toward a prolonged stalemate.”
Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump ruled out extending the ceasefire, saying Iran was not willing to accept the terms he considered necessary to end the war. “They’re not going to make the kind of deal that I think is necessary,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
Meanwhile, Iran’s hardline leadership has no intention of winding down the conflict and instead intends to expand the war to pay for the United States and its regional allies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing unnamed Iranian and Arab officials.
The Eurasia Group no longer expects a peace deal by September, and the de-escalation schedule has been postponed until the end of the year as the conflict drags on. The risk consultancy said the most likely outcome was a “limited agreement” that would allow for some restoration of traffic in Hormuz, adding that pressure on the United States for an imminent reopening of the strait had eased.
The Eurasia Group said successful oil shipments that bypassed the Strait of Hormuz had kept prices from soaring above $100 a barrel, while the global economy was adapting to the shutdown, giving the United States “competence to wait.”
The Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas before the war, has become a central flashpoint between the United States and Iran since February. Transport remains at a near standstill due to sporadic attacks on oil tankers. Only three ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to Kpler ship tracking data.
In the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where Yemen’s Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in mid-July, only 49 supply ships passed over the weekend, down from 55 the previous week, Reuters reported.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a telegram Saturday that negotiations between Iran and Oman to determine a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz are continuing, but President Trump on Monday threatened to bomb Oman if the Gulf state “disturbs” U.S. efforts to reopen the strait.
Eurasia analysts said that “recovery of the Hormuz River will be only partial” as tensions between the US and Iran remain smoldering, raising the risk of a flare-up that could disrupt traffic.
Oil prices rose after the 60-day deadline for a negotiated settlement expired without a solution. U.S. crude oil futures rose 0.25% to $84.7 per barrel on Tuesday, after rising 2.6% on Monday.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, was little changed on Tuesday, last trading at $90.86 per barrel, after rising above $90 on Monday.
