A tanker was hit by an unknown projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This incident is part of a series of attacks that have occurred in recent days, making the maritime security situation in this critical area hard to monitor.
On Thursday, UK Maritime Trade Operations issued Warning 147-26 after receiving a report that the tanker was struck around 1750 UTC on October 1. The incident caused a fire on board.
Fortunately, UKMTO confirmed that the crew is safe. However, the level of damage and any potential environmental effects are still unknown as investigations are ongoing.
This warning came after multiple tanker strikes that were revealed this week, including some that were not publicly reported until hours or even days later.
On Wednesday, UKMTO issued three separate warnings — 144-26, 145-26, and 146-26 — regarding attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on September 29. These reports indicated that tankers traveling both in and out of the strait were struck by unknown projectiles. One tanker went back to its previous port for a damage evaluation, while another was reported near Khor Fakkan after being hit on its port side.
These reports followed Warning 143-26 about another tanker that was attacked while leaving the southern strait on September 28. A small fire was put out, and the vessel continued on its way to the next port.
The delays in reporting these incidents highlight the challenges in tracking attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. UKMTO relies on vessels, operators, and third parties to voluntarily share information with maritime authorities, meaning the public warnings may not capture all incidents that occur in the area.
In a recent assessment released by the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) earlier on Thursday, before Warning 147-26, four confirmed attacks or disruptions in the Strait were reported over the previous 96 hours, with the regional threat level classified as SEVERE. JMIC noted that recent incidents involved projectile strikes on vessels in both directions and warned that deliberate assaults on commercial shipping are highly likely under the current circumstances.
The attack on Thursday adds to the four incidents included in that assessment.
UKMTO has not identified any party as responsible for the strike on Thursday.
UKMTO advises vessels to navigate with caution and to report any suspicious activity while authorities continue their investigations.