Iran had prepared to launch strikes on three sites in Ukraine before scrapping the operation following an apology from Kyiv, according to Mohsen Rezaei, a top military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In an interview with Iranian state television carried by Anadolu Agency, Rezaei said Iran’s armed forces had completed all preparations for the strikes before the operation was called off.
Rezaei also warned that Iran would not permit any maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz outside its designated route, saying any hostile naval vessel attempting to use an “illegal route” would be targeted. He added that Iran had inflicted heavy losses on US forces during the recent 17-day conflict, claiming Iranian missile and drone strikes had thwarted Washington’s military objectives.
The remarks follow Iran’s accusation on July 25 that Ukraine had attacked an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one crew member.
Cargo Vessel Struck Near Oman
Separately, a cargo vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, a British maritime agency said, without providing details on damage or injuries, according to AFP. The unnamed vessel reported being hit, and authorities are investigating, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said, adding that the incident occurred 20 nautical miles northeast of Al Khasab, Oman.
Shipping Traffic Holds Steady Amid Uncertain Talks
Shipping traffic through the key Gulf waterways of Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz remained largely unchanged at the start of the week, according to shipping data cited by Reuters, even as the progress of talks between the United States and Iran stayed ambiguous. Twenty vessels, 12 tankers and eight bulk carriers, passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Monday, according to Kpler shipping data, holding steady from the previous day. Of these crossings, there were 12 exits and eight entries, with most vessels transiting with their transponders active.
