On Saturday, two merchant vessels were reportedly hit by gunfire while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane located between Oman and Iran. The British military confirmed that two gunboats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired at a tanker in the area, approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. Fortunately, the tanker and its crew were reported safe following the incident. This escalation comes shortly after Iran announced a renewed blockade of the strait, which had briefly reopened during negotiations with the United States. In a televised address, Iran's military accused the U.S. of violating agreements by continuing its naval blockade against Iranian-linked vessels. U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged Iran's reopening of the strait but stated that the U.S. would maintain its blockade until a satisfactory deal is reached with Tehran.