Another Tanker Hit in Strait of Hormuz as Attacks Continue

A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the latest in a string of attacks that have emerged over the past several days as the maritime security picture around the strategic waterway remains difficult to track.

UK Maritime Trade Operations issued Warning 147-26 on Thursday after receiving a third-party report that the tanker was hit at about 1750 UTC on Oct. 1. The strike resulted in a fire onboard.

UKMTO said the crew was reported safe. The extent of damage and any environmental impact remained unknown, while authorities continued to investigate.

The warning follows a cluster of tanker strikes disclosed this week, including several that were not reported publicly until hours or days after they occurred.

On Wednesday, UKMTO issued three separate warnings — 144-26, 145-26 and 146-26 — covering tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 29. Those reports said tankers traveling both inbound and outbound were struck by unknown projectiles. One vessel returned to its previous port for a damage assessment, while another was reported near Khor Fakkan after being hit on its port side. Update 101 JMIC Advisory Note 0…

Those disclosures followed Warning 143-26, involving another tanker struck while outbound through the southern portion of the strait on Sept. 28. A small fire was extinguished and the vessel continued toward its next port. Update 101 JMIC Advisory Note 0…

The delayed reports highlight the growing gap between attacks occurring in the Strait of Hormuz and when — or whether — they become part of the public incident record. UKMTO reporting relies heavily on vessels, operators and third parties voluntarily passing information to maritime authorities, meaning the publicly available warnings should not necessarily be treated as a complete accounting of events in the waterway. 

The latest Joint Maritime Information Center assessment, issued earlier Thursday before Warning 147-26, counted four confirmed attacks or disruptions in the Strait over the previous 96 hours and maintained the regional threat level at SEVERE. JMIC said recent incidents included projectile strikes on ships traveling in both directions and warned that deliberate attacks on commercial shipping remained highly likely under current conditions. 

Thursday’s attack would represent another incident beyond those four included in that assessment.

No party was identified by UKMTO as responsible for Thursday’s strike.

UKMTO advised vessels to transit with caution and report suspicious activity as authorities investigate.

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