US-flagged tanker approached by Iranian gunboats in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency cited unnamed Iranian officials as saying later on Tuesday that a vessel had entered Iranian territorial waters without the necessary legal permits, was warned and left the area, "without any special security event taking place."

The strait links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea beyond.

OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia.

Three vessels, two in 2023 and one in 2024, were seized by Iran near or in the strait. Some of the seizures followed US seizures of tankers related to Iran.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Tala Ramadan, Idrees Ali and Elwely Elwelly, writing by Jaidaa Taha and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Alex Richardson and Bernadette Baum)