SHIPPING
Ship attacked near Strait of Hormuz
‘All crew are reported as safe. There is no reported environmental impact at this time.’
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — A ship was struck on Wednesday by an “unknown projectile” off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire, a British maritime security agency said.
The tanker, 11 nautical miles (around 20 kilometers) off the town of Bukha, is “now at anchor,” the UKMTO reported.
“All crew are reported as safe. There is no reported environmental impact at this time,” it said.
The agency later reported another incident, which occurred on Tuesday off the coast of Iraq. A projectile hit a tanker 30 nautical miles from the town of Al Faw, causing no casualties or damage, the UKMTO said.
The Strait of Hormuz carried 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas prior to the Middle East war, which erupted with United States-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
Since then, Tehran has placed a chokehold on the shipping route and regularly targets ships that pass without its authorization.
Washington has responded by maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports, and negotiations between the two countries are deadlocked.
Attacks on vessels attempting to cross the waterway have increased in recent days, as Washington escorts more ships through the strait and Tehran seeks to maintain control over their passage.