To add an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, along with quotes and details

By Jana Shqeir and Iman Abu Hasira

DUBAI, June 27 (Reuters) - A tanker was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, after the United States and Iran traded attacks in the worst escalation since the signing of their interim agreement.

The two countries traded accusations of violating the agreement they reached nearly two weeks ago to end the four-month-long conflict. Washington said it struck Iranian targets overnight, while Iran announced it had struck targets linked to US forces on Saturday in retaliation.

The tanker was targeted on Saturday in the strait following an attack on a cargo ship on Thursday, further escalating tensions. Iran made a renewed attempt to assert its control over the world's most important energy shipping lane, which had reopened in the past two weeks after being closed for months.

The British agency said the tanker sustained damage to the pilothouse, but all crew members were safe.

The Combined Maritime Information Centre, which is run by a coalition of naval forces to protect shipping, said it had raised the security threat level as a result of recent incidents.

Iran has not commented directly on reports of specific attacks on ships. However, Iranian state television reported that the Revolutionary Guard fired "warning shots" at unspecified vessels that attempted to pass through waterways not approved by Iran. It added that this has now prompted other ships to seek Iranian permits before attempting to transit the Strait.

Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the country had launched "defensive" attacks on US-linked military targets, while Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, reported an Iranian drone attack. The US military has not yet responded to these reports.

Iran asserts its control over the vital strait

Iran accused the United States of violating the interim agreement, specifically by failing to maintain the promised ceasefire in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March to pursue the Tehran-backed Hezbollah group.

Israel and Lebanon have repeatedly agreed to ceasefires brokered by the United States, most recently on Friday. However, these agreements have generally had only a limited impact, as Israel insists on not withdrawing from the territories it has seized, while Hezbollah steadfastly rejects calls to disarm as long as Israeli forces remain stationed in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese state television reported that an Israeli drone strike took place on Saturday in the Nabatieh region of southern Lebanon, which has been the target of Israeli airstrikes throughout the conflict.

Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, said the United States had violated the memorandum of understanding to end the war by supporting what he called proxies in the region and stirring up tension in the Strait of Hormuz.

Throughout the war, Iran responded to US attacks by targeting neighboring Gulf states that host large US military bases.

Iranian state television said the Revolutionary Guard delivered a "decisive response" after US forces bombed a communications tower in the coastal city of Sirik. The Mehr news agency reported that the port was operating normally and no damage to facilities or equipment had been reported .

Bahrain said the latest Iranian attacks violated the memorandum of understanding.

Hundreds of ships, including oil tankers, have been trapped inside the Gulf since the war began. As they began to exit through the strait over the past two weeks, oil prices have fallen to near pre-war levels due to the increased supply.

But a complete solution to the global energy crisis requires maintaining two-way shipping through the strait at pre-war levels, which will likely only be possible if shipping companies are assured that the passage is safe.

Washington is promoting a southern route along the coast of Oman, while Tehran wants ships to take a northern route through its waters and under its control, as it ultimately aims to impose fees for the use of the strait.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the National Security Committee in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, said on Saturday that his country would respond firmly to any violation of Iran's instructions regarding navigation through the Strait.

* Vance: "Violence for violence"

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said that the Americans have adhered to the ceasefire agreement, also called the Memorandum of Understanding, and that Iran will be responsible for any renewed conflict that may result from its actions.

Vance wrote on the X platform, "Iran signed the ceasefire agreement. We are committed to it. If they have objections about how the memorandum of understanding is to be implemented, they can call us. But violence will be met with violence."

As has been the case throughout the war, tensions escalated over the weekend while markets were closed, giving both sides two days to take hard lines and exchange fire without causing an immediate spike in oil prices.

In previous instances, including the last two weekends, the heated exchanges on Friday and Saturday were followed by calmer stances from both sides immediately before the markets reopened on Monday.

Before this latest outbreak of violence, oil prices fell by about three percent on Friday, heading for a sharp weekly decline.