Two oil tankers were hit by “unidentified projectiles” in the Strait of Hormuz region on Friday, October 2, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO.
The first attack “caused an initial fire and a power outage on board,” the agency said in a statement. The fire was subsequently extinguished, and UKMTO confirmed there were “no casualties” reported and “no environmental impact” observed. The vessel, which was exiting the strait at the time of the incident, was able to resume its course, according to the same source, which did not specify the ship’s nationality or its ports of origin and destination.
Second Vessel Targeted East of Oman
The second attack occurred four nautical miles (7.4 km) east of Oman, UKMTO warned in a separate publication. That tanker was also struck by an “unknown projectile,” again with no casualties or environmental impact reported.
Strategic Waterway at Center of Conflict
The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global hydrocarbons transited before the war, has been at the heart of the conflict that the United States and Israel triggered in late February with strikes on Iran. Since then, the Islamic Republic has claimed control of the waterway and largely paralyzed maritime traffic, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response.
A lull has been observed on the ground in recent weeks: the United States has not struck Iran since September 1, even though vessels are regularly targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.
