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Tanker Hit by Projectile in Strait of Hormuz; Israel on Alert for Yom Kippur

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile entering the Strait of Hormuz, injuring two crew, as Israel marked Yom Kippur under heightened military alert and France condemned Iran's closure of a French language centre.

A tanker sailing into the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile on Monday, leaving two crew members with minor injuries, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said. The vessel was reported to be continuing toward its next port of call under its own power, and no environmental impact had been observed.

The waterway has seen reduced traffic since Tehran asserted control over much of the strait following the outbreak of war involving the United States and Israel on February 28. In peacetime, roughly 20 million barrels of oil — about a fifth of global supply — moved through Hormuz daily. Some tankers have resumed transits, though volumes remain far below previous levels.

In Israel, the military stayed on alert as the country observed Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the holiest date in the Jewish calendar. Streets emptied and traffic lights flashed yellow as worshippers made their way to the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City. The foreign ministry described the country as offline for the 25-hour period that began after sundown on Sunday.

The armed forces said they had reinforced frontline positions after an Israeli settler was killed in the occupied West Bank on Sunday. A Palestinian suspect was detained following a manhunt.

Separately, France said it would summon Iran's ambassador in response to the closure of a French language centre linked to its embassy in Tehran. The foreign ministry in Paris called the move unjustifiable and unacceptable, describing it as a fresh attack on France's cultural presence in Iran, and tied it to an assault on two embassy staff members in July. Paris said it would take appropriate measures in response without specifying them, and did not indicate when the ambassador would be called in.