Vessel Struck by Unknown Projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UK Maritime Agency Says
UKMTO said the master of a merchant vessel had relayed a mayday call reporting that another vessel had been hit by an unidentified projectile in the strategic waterway.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A merchant vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said, following a separate reported attack on a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker earlier this week.
UKMTO said the master of a merchant vessel had relayed a mayday call reporting that another vessel had been hit by an unidentified projectile in the strategic waterway.
Separately, Qatar's state-run news agency reported that a Qatari LNG tanker, Al Mayeda, owned by Qatar Gas Transport Company, was attacked on Friday by unidentified objects while transiting Gulf waters.
No crew members were injured in Friday's incident, and no environmental damage was reported, according to the Qatari report. The vessel remained in safe condition and operational.
The incidents come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East since the war began in February, with Iran targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf as part of its efforts to assert control over maritime traffic.
Tehran has said vessels must obtain its permission to transit the strait, while the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response.
Meanwhile, Qatar, which has been mediating in the conflict, has intensified diplomatic efforts in recent days to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran.