Dubai, Sept 30 (V7N) – A British maritime agency said on Wednesday that unknown projectiles struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day, marking the latest in a series of attacks on vessels in the strategic waterway.
A crude oil tanker and two other vessels had each "been struck by an unknown projectile," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said. It had earlier described one of the vessels as an LNG tanker, before later describing it as a tanker.
The Strait of Hormuz is currently at the centre of the Middle East war between Iran and the United States. Around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the strategic shipping lane before the war. But since the conflict broke out, Tehran has been blocking the passage of commercial ships, firing on vessels it accuses of unauthorised crossings. Washington has responded with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports in an effort to prevent Tehran from exporting its oil.
The attacks mark the continuation of a pattern of strikes on shipping in the waterway. On Monday, an "unknown projectile" struck a ship in the Strait, sparking a fire that was later extinguished. On September 7, Iranian forces said they struck 10 vessels attempting to cross Hormuz without coordination. Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on September 9 a new "prohibited zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz covering parts of the Gulf of Oman and beyond, warning that vessels entering the area without coordination would be subject to "sanctions," including being denied services such as insurance. The UKMTO has issued multiple warnings to vessels transiting the area, advising them to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
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