Iran18 September, 20262 min read
Unknown Projectile Strikes Supertanker in Strait of Hormuz, Fire Breaks Out
Unknown projectile struck a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, igniting a fire. UKMTO reported a time-late notice of the incident; crew safe.
Tanker Fire in Hormuz
A tanker was fired upon in the Strait of Hormuz, and a fire broke out on board while the crew were reported to be safe, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations reporting cited by DIE WELT. UK Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel was hit by an "unknown projectile" that resulted in a fire, and the agency said it did not disclose the tanker's flag registration, its intended route, or whether it was carrying crude oil or liquefied natural gas.
“The crew were not harmed. A fire broke out on the ship.”
Iranian media did not immediately identify who was responsible for the incident or specify the flag under which the tanker was operating, as the Caspian Post reported citing Iran's Fars news agency. The supertanker was travelling "illegally" through the strait when it was hit about eight kilometres (five miles) off the coast of Oman, and it gave the tanker capacity as 2.5 million barrels.
Conflicting accounts of attacks
UK Maritime Trade Operations described the incident as an attack in a navigational warning, and it said the agency had received a third-party report alleging the tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Anadolu Ajansı said the extent of the damage to the tanker, as well as the environmental impact of the incident, remains unknown at the time the warning was issued.
Three oil tankers were hit by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz this week, and Marisks reported that three Liberia-flagged tankers had their transponders switched off. Three Liberian-flagged oil tankers were struck by unknown projectiles when transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and the vessels had been moving with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.
Hormuz tensions and next steps
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and has become the center of the conflict that began at the end of February with US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. Iran claimed control over the strategically important waterway and Washington imposed a blockade against Iranian ports to prevent Tehran from exporting oil, with global oil prices rising sharply.
Tehran’s leadership announced a day earlier that it had received a response from Washington to its latest proposal, and Iran stated it has seven conditions for an end to the attacks and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. UK Maritime Trade Operations urged vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to the agency while authorities investigate, as Anadolu Ajansı said the ships in the area were urged to exercise caution.