Arabic version: ناقلة تشتعل قبالة عمان بعد تعرضها لضربة مقذوف

A tanker travelling off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz has caught fire after being struck by a projectile, according to the United Kingdom’s military. The attack early on Tuesday was the latest targeting a vessel moving through the Gulf’s critical waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February.

According to Al Jazeera, the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings, but Tehran did not directly claim the assault. Tehran has repeatedly declared that only its approved route through the Strait of Hormuz is safe.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said the projectile hit the port side of the vessel while it was trying to travel south out of the strait towards the Gulf of Oman. This incident aligns with a series of attacks on vessels in the region since the onset of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February.

Talks between Iran and the United States on a permanent end to the war appear to be on hold until after the burial of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28.

As the situation unfolds, the maritime safety in the region remains a concern, with the potential for further escalations impacting global shipping routes.