Khasab: A tanker came under attack early on Friday morning while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
A small boat approached the vessel and attached two explosive devices to its hull, triggering a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabling it, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The incident occurred on Thursday at around 2212 UTC (3.42 am on Friday as per IST), approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. It had received a verified report confirming that all crew members were safe and there was no environmental impact, the UKMTO said.
“The report indicates that the tanker was approached on the port side by a small boat which attached two explosive devices to the hull above the waterline,” the organisation said. It added that the subsequent blasts caused a fire in the engine room, temporarily disabling the vessel.
“The fire is now reported as extinguished and the vessel is continuing to its next port of call,” the maritime security agency said. UKMTO initially received a report that an outbound tanker was on fire, with the cause of the incident, the status of the crew, damage assessment and environmental impact unknown at the time, as reported by Republic TV.
It advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity following the latest update.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO, whilst authorities investigate,” it said.
Iranian military authorities continue to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning commercial vessels against transiting through areas they consider restricted and unsafe.
A tanker travelling in a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz had caught fire after striking a naval mine, Iran’s Army Navy Public Relations claimed in a statement reported by state broadcaster IRIB.
“This morning, a tanker travelling in a restricted and unsafe area east of the Strait of Hormuz was damaged and caught fire after hitting a naval mine, preventing it from moving,” the statement said.
The country’s naval authorities also warned vessels against attempting uncoordinated passage through the waterway, stating: “The Strait of Hormuz is closed to violating ships that intend to pass through prohibited and unsafe areas without coordination and relying on the lies of the US president.”
The waterway would remain closed until Tehran’s conditions were met, senior Iranian military officials have reiterated.
“The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Iran’s conditions are met, under the control of the warriors of Islam,” Major General Yazidi said, according to IRIB.
This developments come at a time when Washington is weighing its military and diplomatic options regarding Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported that the head of the US military’s Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, briefed president Donald Trump on military options for Iran during a White House meeting on Thursday.
The meeting was also attended by US secretary of war Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Dan Caine and other cabinet members, the newspaper reported, citing US officials and people familiar with the discussions.
There are reports of a possible resumption of major US combat operations against Iran, following the US-Israeli bombing campaign earlier this year on February 28.
Washington has also increased air defences, munitions and other supplies across the Middle East in recent weeks, according to the report.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has, however, said that Washington’s approach would not influence Tehran’s position on negotiations.
“The carrot-and-stick approach does not affect Iran,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X, adding, “Progress can only be achieved once Iran’s seven conditions have been agreed upon.”
His remarks followed reports of diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations, including a letter from US vice president J D Vance to Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei. Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars reported that Tehran had received the letter but had not yet responded.
At least three oil tankers had caught fire after striking mines while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the last 24 hours, Iran’s armed forces claimed.
The vessels had used an unauthorised southern route, switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from the Iranian Navy, the IRGC alleged.