UKMTO: Tanker hit by unknown projectile in Hormuz; another burns near Khasab

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving two delayed reports of incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday evening. One tanker was hit by an unknown projectile, while another caught fire near the Omani city of Khasab. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that three tankers had caught fire in the strait since dawn on Sunday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Sunday, November 8, that it had received a delayed report of an attack targeting a tanker as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz toward the exit on Saturday evening. According to Warning 200-26, the security officer of the operating company said the tanker was hit by an unknown projectile at 20:20 GMT, confirming that all crew members were safe and that no environmental impact had been reported so far.

In a separate warning, numbered 199-26 and classified as “suspicious activity,” the agency said military authorities had informed it that a tanker caught fire 8 nautical miles northwest of the Omani city of Khasab at 19:20 GMT on Saturday, leading to the evacuation of its crew. The agency did not identify the cause of the fire or disclose the identities of the two tankers. It urged vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity while authorities investigate the two incidents.

خريطة UKMTO لموقع حريق ناقلة شمال غربي خصب العُمانية

The map issued by the British agency shows the location of the first incident northwest of Khasab, at the northern tip of the Musandam Peninsula overlooking the strait, while the agency placed the second attack inside the Strait of Hormuz.

Revolutionary Guard: Three “non-compliant” tankers caught fire

Meanwhile, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy said in a statement published by Sepah News that three “non-compliant” oil tankers exploded and caught fire in the early hours of Sunday while sailing along what it described as the “illegal route” in the strait, without identifying the tankers or their nationalities. Iranian media reported on Sunday evening, citing the Iranian Army Navy, that an oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine east of the strait.

It was not possible to independently verify the number of affected tankers or the circumstances of the incidents. The available information also does not establish a link between the two British reports and the tankers announced by the Iranian side. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had recently announced that it had cleared all mines from the passage.

A circulating video filmed from a small boat around sunset shows a large vessel on fire, emitting thick black smoke, with other vessels nearby. The identity of the vessel, the location and date of the filming, and any connection to the incidents announced by the British agency could not be independently verified.

Continued escalation in the strait

The incidents come amid continued escalation around the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil consumption passed before the war. Iran has imposed tight restrictions on navigation in the strait since the U.S.-Israeli war against it began in February, while the United States has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports since April.

On Saturday evening, CENTCOM announced that a U.S. military aircraft had halted the cargo ship Huda in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the blockade. The UAE National Guard announced that it had rescued 22 sailors from a cargo ship that caught fire in the Sea of Oman.

Sources: United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Map: UKMTO. Video: Social media

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UKMTO: Tanker hit by unknown projectile in Hormuz; another burns near Khasab