Projectile event in Oman on Sat 18th April 2026

On 18 April 2026, around 1:20pm Muscat time, two Iranian IRGC gunboats opened fire (coded as shelling) at the Sanmar Herald crude oil tanker (IMO: 9330563) in the Strait of Hormuz, around 20 nm northeast of Oman, as it was attempting to leave the Persian Gulf. There were no casualties and it was unclear whether the ship was hit, though the ship turned around back into the Persian Gulf. Some sources indicated that the Jag Arnav bulk carrier (IMO: 9705354) was also targeted, with the Indian ministry of foreign affairs noting that the incident involved two Indian-flagged ships, though there was no confirmation that the Jag Arnav also came under fire. The Jag Arnav was positioned 7 nm behind the Sanmar Herald and turned around at the same time as the Sanmar Herald. The attack occurred in the context of the IRGC announcing on the same day that it will reimpose a total blockade on the Strait of Hormuz as a response to the refusal of the US to lift its naval blockade on Iran.