The Panama-flagged tanker Louise 1 was damaged after two limpet mines were attached to its hull in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security sources said.
A small boat approached the vessel and placed the two explosive devices above the waterline, according to three maritime security sources cited by Reuters. The explosions caused a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabled the tanker.
The fire was extinguished, all crew members were safe and no fuel leak or other environmental damage was reported, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said. The tanker later resumed its voyage toward its next port.
Attack Occurred Near Oman’s Khasab
UKMTO said the incident occurred Oct. 29 about 25 nautical miles, or 46 kilometers, northeast of Khasab, Oman.
Responsibility for the attack has not been established. Maritime specialists said it was the first confirmed successful use of limpet mines against a vessel in the area since the current U.S.-Iran conflict began.
Limpet mines are attached directly to a ship’s hull and can be placed from a small boat. Their use increases the danger to commercial shipping in the narrow, heavily traveled Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
Iran Reports Other Tanker Incidents
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said four tankers, including one carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil, had struck mines and caught fire while attempting to use routes Tehran considered unauthorized.
Iran did not identify the ships or provide details about their crews. The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the claims. It was also unclear whether the Louise 1 was among the tankers cited by the Guard.
Oman separately reported evacuating 25 sailors from a burning Panama-flagged commercial vessel off the Musandam coast. UKMTO also recorded a strike by an unknown projectile against another ship south of Iran’s Lavan Island. That vessel’s crew was unharmed, and no connection among the incidents has been confirmed.
The series of attacks is increasing the risk to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and could raise insurance and transportation costs for energy suppliers.
The Louise 1 incident was first reported in Russian by Vesti Baku.