The Revolutionary Guards claim the attack was carried out in response to the seizure of an Iranian merchant ship by the United States.
Published April 22, 2026
An Iranian gunboat opened fire on a container ship near the coast of Oman, hours after US President Donald Trump announced an extension to the ceasefire with Iran, Britain’s maritime watchdog said.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) said on Wednesday that the ship’s captain had reported that an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) ship was approaching before the shots were fired.
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“Significant damage was caused to the bridge. No fire or environmental impacts were reported,” the agency added. No casualties were reported and all crew members were safe.
British maritime security company Vanguard Tech said the ship was flying the Liberian flag and had been advised it had permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic waterways.
However, Iranian news agency Tasnim said the ship ignored Iranian military warnings.
IRNA news agency reported that the incident was a warning from the Central Headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards Khatam al-Anbiya after the United States allegedly seized an Iranian merchant ship in the Sea of Oman.
The newspaper accused the United States of violating the cease-fire agreement and committing “armed piracy” by allegedly firing on Iranian ships and shutting down their navigation systems.
Trump extends ceasefire
President Trump had earlier announced that he would postpone a planned military attack on Iran at the request of Pakistan’s Army Commander Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Writing in the Truth Social newspaper, President Trump said the decision was made because the Iranian government is in a “deep rift” and needs time to come to a consensus.
“We are called upon to halt attacks against Iran until Iranian leaders and representatives come up with a unified proposal,” he wrote.
But he added that the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would continue and said the military had been ordered to remain “ready and able to act.”
The announcement marked a change from Trump’s comments a day earlier, when he said it was “very unlikely” that the ceasefire would be extended beyond Tuesday.
“Positive and negative signals” from Tehran
Al Jazeera’s Tohid Assadi, reporting from Tehran, said Iranian officials were sending mixed messages over the prospect of a ceasefire and negotiations.
“The Iranian government has said it will not negotiate under the conditions imposed…If you compare the original 10-point and 15-point proposals by Iran and the United States, you can see that both sides are at the extremes,” he said.
“The atmosphere is also clouded by mistrust of the United States in Tehran and concurrent military rhetoric related to potential failed negotiations. This is a warning that a new conflict may occur.”
He said Iran still views the Strait of Hormuz as an important source of leverage in any negotiations.
“We are trying to exercise authority over ships passing through this strategically important choke point,” he said.
Assadi added that Iranian officials frame their regional position as based on mutual security. “The Iranians are saying that the basis of their foreign policy actions, especially when it comes to Israel, is safety for all or safety for no one,” he said.
