Iran’s army said on Sunday ships and crews from countries complying with US sanctions could face “hardship” when crossing the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tension over the shipping route.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei also issued “new directives” to Iranian armed forces after being briefed by Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi, the country's joint-top military commander, state media said.
The warnings came as a projectile struck a cargo ship near Qatar. The US imposed more sanctions on Iran-linked procurement networks and Israeli strikes killed at least 39 people in Lebanon.
The war began on February 28 with coordinated US–Israeli strikes on Iran and has since spread across the region, killing thousands and sending shock waves through global energy markets. Tehran has yet to respond to a reported 14-point US proposal to end the conflict, put forward last week.
The cargo ship struck by a projectile on Sunday was about 40 kilometres north-east of Qatar when it was hit, said the UK Maritime Trade Operations, a British Royal Navy-run coordination centre.
Qatar later said the vessel was hit by a drone in its territorial waters north-east of Mesaieed Port. Its Defence Ministry said the ship, arriving from Abu Dhabi, suffered a fire that was quickly brought under control, with no injuries, and later continued on to Mesaieed.
The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint that is the main export route for shipments of oil and natural gas from the Gulf. Any disruption in the waterway is widely monitored because it can quickly affect global energy prices and insurance costs for commercial shipping.
Iran has long argued it is acting under international maritime law while asserting security authority in waters near its coastline.
But its Gulf neighbours, the US and the EU reject Tehran’s interpretation, arguing that under international maritime law the strait is an international transit route where freedom of navigation must be protected and commercial shipping cannot be impeded or threatened.
Iran's army spokesman, Brig Gen Mohammad Akraminia, said countries complying with US sanctions on Iran would “undoubtedly face difficulties” when passing through the strait, Tasnim News Agency said.
The briefing to Mr Khamenei featured updates on the readiness of the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, police, border forces and the Basij militia folded into the IRGC. Maj Gen Abdollahi said Iranian forces would respond “swiftly, intensely and powerfully” to any US or Israeli aggression.
Widening spillover
Separately, a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was reported to be sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz after leaving Ras Laffan, in what shipping data suggests could be its first such crossing since the start of war-related disruptions.
The vessel is en route to Pakistan and is being closely monitored because of heightened regional risk perceptions around energy shipping.
Kuwait’s armed forces, meanwhile, said they detected hostile drones inside the emirate's airspace at dawn on Sunday and dealt with them.
The developments come alongside new US sanctions targeting Chinese and Iranian entities accused of helping Tehran procure satellite imagery and weapons components for its drone and missile programmes.
Washington said the measures were intended to disrupt procurement networks linked to Iran’s military and limit its ability to rebuild sensitive weapons capabilities.
Diplomacy has also continued, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman to discuss defence co-operation and regional stability.
The Qatari Prime Minister also spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif about efforts to reduce escalation. His ministry said he praised Pakistan’s role in the US-Iran ceasefire and reaffirmed Doha’s support for continuing mediation towards a “comprehensive agreement” and lasting regional peace.
In Lebanon, Israeli air strikes killed at least 39 people, said Lebanese authorities, despite a ceasefire agreement reached last month.
A Gaza Health Ministry report said Israeli attacks killed one Palestinian and wounded four in the past 24 hours.
It added that 851 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire in October 2025, with the death toll exceeding 72,700 since the Gaza war began with the deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
