Qatar and Saudi Arabia also condemned the attacks, saying the tanker from their country was hit while transiting through or near the strait, and blamed Iran.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said he held Iran “fully responsible” for the apparent targeted attack on a vessel called Al-Reqayat that was sailing near the strait.
In a separate social media post, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said Iran targeted the Saudi tanker Wadyan as it crossed the strait.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai called Qatar’s accusations “contrary to the principle of good neighborliness.”
He added that commercial vessels using routes not coordinated with Iran or interfering with vessel tracking face the risk of collision and undermine Iran’s efforts to “facilitate safe transit” in the strait.
The UKMTO said a tanker traveling through the channel reported a fire after an unknown shell hit the engine room on Monday.
In two separate incidents on Tuesday, a tanker reported being hit as it exited the strait but was able to proceed to its next port of call, while another tanker reported suffering minor structural damage after being struck, the organization said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of Centcom’s announcement of the new strikes, the US official insisted that US negotiators would continue to work “in good faith” to reach a final agreement with Iran.
Progress on that front came last month when the US and Iran agreed to a 14-point memorandum of understanding that aimed to extend the ceasefire and end the conflict “on all fronts.”
As part of the agreement, Iran and Oman, which border Hormuz, must hold talks “to determine future administration and maritime services” on the waterway with other Gulf states.
During the conflict, Iran sought to assert its sovereignty over the strait, including through the creation of a “Gulf Strait Authority” that it said would administer “safe passage permits.”
Iran’s Fars news agency reported that under a new deal with the US, the strait would eventually be managed by Iran in coordination with Oman, including possible “service fees” for ships traveling through the waterway.