Fire Breaks Out on Tanker After Being Hit by Unknown Projectile in Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Friday that a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing a small fire and a power outage on board, with no casualties or environmental damage reported.
In a maritime advisory, the authority said it received a report of an incident within the Strait of Hormuz, explaining that the tanker's captain reported being hit by an unknown projectile during a departure journey through the strait.
It added that the hit resulted in a small fire and a power outage on the tanker before the fire was extinguished.
It clarified that the vessel continued its voyage, and there were no reports of casualties or environmental damage from the incident.
It noted that the relevant authorities are investigating the incident, urging ships passing through the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
The authority did not disclose the name of the tanker, its final destination, its cargo, or its ownership.
The incident comes a day after a similar attack with an unknown projectile targeted an oil tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire on board without any crew injuries.
Meanwhile, two oil and liquefied gas tankers were targeted by two projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
No party has claimed responsibility for these attacks, which come amidst tensions between Iran and the United States over the navigation route in the Strait of Hormuz, strategic for energy and goods supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most prominent issues in negotiations between Tehran and Washington, given the differing positions of the two sides on managing maritime traffic within it.
On February 28, the United States and Israel began a war on Iran, which left more than 3,000 dead, according to Tehran, which retaliated with attacks that killed Americans and Israelis before a ceasefire was reached last April.
Subsequently, the United States launched attacks on sites in Iran amid a deadlock in negotiations, despite the two parties signing a memorandum of understanding in mid-June.
Tehran responded by carrying out attacks against what it claimed were American military facilities and equipment in Arab countries, but some of these caused civilian casualties and damaged civilian infrastructure, which the targeted countries condemned and demanded be stopped.
المصدر: Anadolu Agency
