A tanker was struck by two unidentified projectiles in the northern Persian Gulf, about 72 nautical miles east of the Saudi city of Ras al-Khafji, according to a British maritime security agency.
All crew members were accounted for and no environmental impact had been reported, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, or UKMTO, said.
The incident occurred at 11:47 p.m. UTC on Nov. 1. UKMTO classified it as an attack, saying the tanker was traveling southeast when the projectiles hit its port side.
The agency did not identify the vessel, its flag or cargo, and it did not provide an assessment of the damage. The source of the projectiles also remained unknown. Authorities opened an investigation, and UKMTO advised ships in the region to exercise caution and report suspicious activity.
New Incident in Tense Gulf Waters
The attack off the Saudi coast followed a series of incidents involving commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a day earlier that two tankers had struck mines while traveling along what it called an unauthorized route. Reuters said it could not independently verify that claim.
UKMTO’s notice did not link the attack east of Ras al-Khafji to Iran or to the vessels mentioned by the IRGC. The incidents occurred at different locations and times, and responsibility for the latest strike has not been established.
Interfax, citing UKMTO data, reported that more than 30 attacks on vessels were recorded in the Strait of Hormuz area in October, the highest monthly total since the U.S.-Iran conflict began. The new incident indicates that maritime security warnings now extend into the northern Persian Gulf.
Source: Vesti Baku