Cargo Ship in Persian Gulf Hit by ‘Unknown Projectile’ as US–Iran Tensions Simmer

A UK maritime monitoring agency added that a large explosion was reported.

Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, on April 18, 2026. Asghar Besharati/AP Photo

A cargo ship that was transiting the Persian Gulf was struck by an “unknown projectile” that caused a large explosion, said an organization run by the UK’s Royal Navy on June 1. The report came hours after the U.S. military said it struck targets inside Iran.

The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) said in an X post on Monday that it received a report of an incident around 40 nautical miles south of Umm Qasr, Iraq, in the Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf.