Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photoUKMTO Says Two Projectiles Hit Tanker Off Saudi Arabia Near Ras Al Khafji
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy separately claimed that two oil tankers had struck sea mines”
“That is likely to push war-risk insurance premiums and freight rates higher across the Gulf”
Photo: Abodi009, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped for layout
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Two unidentified projectiles struck a tanker about 72 nautical miles east of Ras al-Khafji. The vessel was traveling southeast; all crew members were accounted for.
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Tanker struck near Khafji
A tanker was hit by two unidentified projectiles on its port side while travelling southeast through the Arabian Gulf, with the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency placing the incident 72 nautical miles east of Ras Al Khafji, Saudi Arabia. UKMTO said the attack occurred at 23:47 UTC on November 1, and the agency reported that all crew members were accounted for and that no environmental impact had been reported. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy claimed that two oil tankers “exploded after striking mines” while travelling through what it called an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media.
The investingLive account said the latest strike came as Gulf incidents reached 10 in three days and described the risk to shipping as spreading beyond the Strait of Hormuz. UKMTO advised vessels to transit with caution and report suspicious activity while authorities investigated the source of the projectiles.
Diplomacy and competing claims
Iran and Qatari mediators discussed a plan that Tehran said could reopen Hormuz within two days if Washington met its conditions, while the investingLive account said the waters around Hormuz were getting more dangerous as vessels were being struck across three bodies of water. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, for an official visit, and Iran’s state media said he was expected to meet senior Turkmen officials to discuss strengthening cooperation and expanding political and economic ties.
CENTCOM rejected a claim by Iran’s foreign minister that Tehran had not attacked civilians in neighboring countries, and CENTCOM accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and residential neighborhoods, calling the actions “indiscriminate aggression”. Saudi Arabia condemned a Friday attack on a Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier, and the Saudi foreign ministry said the Kingdom reiterated its rejection of “all violations that threaten the security and safety of maritime navigation and global energy supplies.”
What comes next at sea
UKMTO said authorities were investigating the tanker incident and advised ships in the area to transit with caution, while the Mitrade account said UKMTO reported the projectiles struck the vessel on its port side and that all crew members were accounted for. The investingLive account said satellite radar imagery from October 31 showed a potentially disabled large tanker north of Kumzar, Oman, and another leaking vessel east of Sohar, and it said Windward imagery confirmed a laden tanker trailing oil toward Oman’s Batinah coast through at least November 6.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy separately claimed that two oil tankers struck mines while using an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, and the Khaama Press account said UKMTO had not identified the source of the projectiles and there was no confirmed link between the tanker incident and the Guards’ claim. The diplomatic track continued as Khaama Press said senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye met Iranian officials in Tehran on October 26 and agreed to continue discussions on regional peace and security, including security in the Strait of Hormuz.