Tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz, UK maritime agency reports

A tanker leaving the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile on Oct 2, the British maritime agency said, causing a small fire and blackout but no reported casualties or environmental damage. The fire was extinguished and the vessel continued its voyage while authorities investigated.¹³⁷

Fire and loss of power

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the tanker’s master reported the impact during an outbound passage through the strait. The agency said the strike caused a small fire and a loss of power aboard the vessel. It reported that the fire was put out and that the tanker remained under way.¹⁴⁷

No casualties or environmental effects were reported, according to UKMTO and subsequent accounts. One report said the tanker’s crew was safe. The authorities were investigating the incident, but the agency did not identify the vessel or say who might have carried out the attack.¹³⁴⁵

A separate crude-oil tanker was reported struck about four nautical miles east of Oman. Its master also reported an unidentified projectile, according to accounts citing the maritime agency. Gulf News reported that the crew was safe and that no environmental damage had been recorded.³⁵

Several vessels reported hit

The latest incident came amid a series of reported attacks in and around the strait. Middle East Eye said on Oct 4 that three tankers had been struck there since Oct 1, while gCaptain put the number of vessels hit since Sept 28 at no fewer than six. Those totals were reported separately and cover different stated periods.⁴⁵

The Maritime Executive reported that the Oct 2 disclosures brought the number of ships struck during one week to six and the number of incidents directly connected to the United States-Iran conflict to 110. The outlet said one of the vessels, Kazimah III, had been hit while passing through the strait on Oct 1.²

Some earlier cases entered the public record only after a delay. According to gCaptain, three tanker attacks from Monday were disclosed on Wednesday through separate UKMTO warnings, after another vessel strike on Sunday evening had been classified as suspicious activity. The outlet said the delayed notices left uncertainty about how rapidly incidents were being made public.⁴

Conflict around a major energy route

The reports come during a Middle East war triggered by United States and Israeli strikes against Iran in February. Iran has since blocked commercial shipping and fired on vessels it accuses of making unauthorised passages, while the United States has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports intended to stop the country exporting oil.¹³

Before the strikes in late February, the Strait of Hormuz handled about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. UKMTO advised vessels to proceed cautiously, according to Middle East Eye, which also reported that the agency’s October overview recorded 91 cases of vessel damage since February.¹³⁵

The Maritime Executive reported that the attacks intensified as mediators found no progress in talks between Washington and Tehran. It also said Iran had reduced production and stopped loading oil into floating storage, while much of its crude inventory in the Far East had been depleted.²