A tanker crew abandoned their vessel after it was reportedly stuck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman and embarked in a lifeboat.
One tanker was travelling off the coast of Oman when it was hit on July 20 in the Strait of Hormuz by an unknown projectile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said.
The incident occurred 8 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman. The company security officer of the tanker reported to UKMTO that the crew abandoned the vessel and evacuated to a lifeboat while awaiting rescue.
“UKMTO has received multiple reports that a tanker is reporting over VHF Channel 16 that it has been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Authorities said there was no environmental damage and that the incident remains under investigation.
The initial warning did not identify the vessel or provide details on the extent of any damage.
The incident came hours after another tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman.
The vessel’s company security officer (CSO) told UKMTO that the vessel had been struck by a projectile and that the crew had safely abandoned the ship and been recovered by a tugboat. The CSO said the ship was still on fire and adrift with no reported environmental impact. Military authorities initially told UKMTO that the vessel was on fire without identifying the specific cause.
Later, UKMTO reclassified the incident as an “Attack.”
Security services specialist in maritime Ambrey reported that the Malta-flagged oil products tanker had issued a distress signal 7.45 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar and that “AIS data indicated that the ship was transiting westbound through the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz with its AIS switched off.” The firm said the vessel was one of two tankers struck.
“The vessel subsequently turned on its AIS at 21:57 UTC, and was observed having come to a drift at approximately 22:20 UTC. Ambrey is aware that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait,” the report said.
Authorities subsequently confirmed that the tanker had been struck by a projectile. The fire on board had been brought under control; however, the crew had abandoned the vessel and had been rescued by a tug.
No casualties or pollution had been reported. Ambrey has upgraded the incident to “war risk – physical damage.”
According to latest UKMTO report, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at reduced levels, with vessels transiting via both the southern Omani corridor and the northern Iranian-controlled route.
Operator caution persisted following recent attacks, and several companies delayed passages. US-assisted commercial transits continued with fewer ships, reflecting heightened operator risk assessments under the elevated threat environment.
The maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is expected, according to UKMTO, to remain at reduced levels across both the northern Iranian-controlled route and the southern Omani corridor.
