New Delhi: A cargo ship was reportedly hit near Oman on Thursday, June 25, the first such incident in the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Iran signed a 60-day negotiation process on June 17. The strike is said to have occurred at 7:45 pm, India time.The incident follows Oman announcing a temporary shipping corridor along its coast a day earlier, which it said was developed in coordination with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The Oman Maritime Security Centre (OMSC) released guidelines, including waiting areas and waypoints, in the route for outbound ships transiting through the strait.Detail from the guidelines for an alternative route through the Strait of Hormuz, issued by Oman Maritime Security Centre, Thursday, June 24, 2026.While the new route is being referred to as the “southern corridor”, Tehran has said it approves only of a “northern corridor”. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned commercial shippers and the OMSC against routes other than approved by Tehran through the strait.“A few hours ago, without prior notice or coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, some authorities announced a new route for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which is unacceptable and completely dangerous,” Iranian media quoted an IRGC statement as saying earlier today.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in a statement on Thursday that a cargo vessel has been “hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile” at 14:10 UTC, and that it caused damage to the bridge. It said the shipmaster has reported “no casualties and no environmental impact”.AP reports that the opening of an “alternative passage” through the waterway would relieve pressure on the world economy and remove Iran’s main source of leverage in ongoing peace talks with the United States. It says the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to the Gulf to reassure American allies, has said Washington was committed to the new route. It also reports that traffic through the strait has increased but is still well below prewar levels.Last week, 125 vessels crossed the strait, up from 33 the week before, according to marine data and analysis firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, cited by AP.On June 24, the UKMTO had announced it is “supporting an IMO-coordinated process to assist vessels currently operating within the Gulf region”. The advisory saud IMO was working with industry organisations, coastal states and regional partners to “develop a prioritised approach to the safe and orderly movement of vessels”, and that vessels might expect to be contacted by UKMTO “to be notified of their inclusion in an IMO planning batch”.It also said that the UKMTO was involved only in relaying information to facilitate shippers and that “all decisions regarding vessel movement, routing and timing remain the responsibility of the Master and owning company. Participation in this process is voluntary.”AP also reports that on Wednesday (June 24), “the Guard (IRGC) threatened one tanker over the radio, with a soldier warning, ‘You are in range of my missiles and maybe (I) fire on you,’ according to the private security firm Ambrey.”While Washington and Tehran have declared the strait open to commercial shipping, the terms of reopening are still being negotiated. Reports say Iran will seek greater control than before over vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz, including a possible fee passage after the 60-day negotiating period, Al Jazeera reports.Around 11,000 seafarers on board are said to be stranded around the Persian Gulf region since the start of the US/Israel war on Iran on February 28.Meanwhile, Iran has stressed that the “only authorised route” for passing through the Strait of Hormuz is the “one declared by the Islamic Republic of Iran”. “Vessel traffic outside these routes is extremely dangerous and prohibited. [Violators] would face appropriate action,” the IRGC statement said.Iran had previous unleashed drones against vessels on the southern corridor in a bid to exert and retain control over the route. Few had predicted the Hormuz strait would provide Tehran with a strong negotiating position during as well as after the war, allowing it to influence global trade, especially in oil and natural gas.