Iran vowed to respond in kind to any targeting of its oil tankers, stressing that it will not tolerate what it described as “maritime aggression.”

The spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ebrahim Rezaei, said in remarks carried by Iranian media: “An eye for an eye, and an oil tanker for an oil tanker.” He added that Iran’s response during the forty days of the war had been “decisive and strong.”

Rezaei stated that Iran “will not remain silent in the face of sea pirates,” as he put it, noting that “the adversaries will not be able to turn their losses into a victory.”

Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a container ship had been directly targeted by gunfire from an Iranian military boat about 15 nautical miles northeast of the coast of Oman, causing damage to the vessel’s hull and bridge.

In contrast, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency quoted sources saying that Iranian armed forces fired on the ship after it ignored their warnings, confirming that the incident caused significant damage.