Iran fires missiles at commercial tankers in Strait of Hormuz amid Khamenei mourning period

Iran's military fired missiles at commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on July 6, 2026, striking two vessels and setting one ablaze. The attacks occurred during a multi-day mourning period for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The incident threatens to derail a recent memorandum of understanding as U.S. President Donald Trump warns Iran to make a deal or face military action, while Iranian officials refuse to negotiate under threat.

Strait of Hormuz tanker attack

• ▪United States officials reported that Iran's military fired at least two missiles at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, striking two vessels.
• ▪The attacks on the commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz resulted in significant damage but caused no casualties or environmental impact.
• ▪A commercial tanker traveling south near Limah, Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile on its port side on July 6, 2026, causing a fire.

Iran route control dispute

• ▪The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deployed patrol boats to block an alternative shipping route near the Omani shore.
• ▪Iran's Joint Military Command and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that all oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz must use Iran-approved routes.
• ▪The United States and several Gulf Arab states have rejected Iran's demands to control shipping routes and charge fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations

• ▪United States President Donald Trump warned Iran on July 6, 2026, that the nation must reach a deal or the United States would "finish the job."
• ▪Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that negotiations on a final deal will not commence if threats against Iran continue.
• ▪Negotiations between the United States and Iran are paused during the multi-day mourning period for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei funeral in Qom

• ▪The multi-day mourning period for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began on July 4, 2026, and will conclude with his burial on July 9, 2026, in Mashhad.
• ▪Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in Qom, Iran, on July 7, 2026, for the funeral services of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Mojtaba Khamenei succession

• ▪Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• ▪Banners at the funeral services displayed images of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not yet made a public appearance.

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