OMM Newsroom
A tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Thursday, according to Anadolu Agency.
In an updated warning, the UKMTO said it had received confirmation that the vessel was hit as it transited the strategic waterway. “All crew are reported safe and well,” the agency said.
The UKMTO reclassified the incident as an “attack” after receiving confirmation. It did not identify the tanker or give details about its flag, ownership, location or the projectile’s origin.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime energy route linking the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The report came shortly after Iran’s army said two oil tankers caught fire Thursday after striking naval mines in restricted waters east of the strait, according to Iranian broadcaster IRIB.
The army claimed the vessels entered a prohibited and unsafe area despite warnings, after switching off their radar systems.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tuesday that an oil tanker struck a naval mine and exploded after taking a route through the strait that Tehran had not authorized.
The incidents come amid heightened maritime tensions in the waterway following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned commercial vessels not to use shipping routes outside those designated by Tehran.
Despite diplomatic efforts and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June, disputes over navigation and maritime security in the strategic waterway have persisted.
