Merchant Vessel Struck by Unidentified Projectile in Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported that a merchant vessel was struck by a projectile of unknown origin in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the agency's alert, the vessel's master issued a distress call over VHF channel 16 to report that another vessel had been hit. The incident reportedly occurred at 1509 GMT on November 1, although another account also citing UKMTO placed the attack at 1500 GMT that same Sunday.

Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech identified the affected vessel as the Selat Storm, a 4,840-horsepower anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel built in 2002. The company noted that the vessel reportedly was left at risk of sinking following the impact. The Selat Storm belongs to Selat Marine Services, based in the United Arab Emirates, sails under the Panamanian flag, and is insured by Shipowners Mutual; the owner could not be reached for comment.

Hours later, UKMTO reported a second incident: another merchant vessel was struck at 2020 GMT, nine nautical miles from Lima, Oman, which caused a hole in the starboard side. The agency specified that the vessel and its crew were safe and that no environmental impact was recorded. In neither incident did UKMTO publicly identify the vessels involved.

During October, a series of attacks on merchant vessels had been recorded in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, which in some cases caused fires and damage to the vessels, according to maritime security reports cited by Portal Portuario. Trade News noted that October was the most violent month for shipping in the Middle East since the conflict began between Iran and the coalition made up of the United States and Israel.

Concern over the safety of commercial shipping remains elevated due to persistent tensions between the United States and Iran, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global oil and gas exports. The United States and Israel had launched a military offensive against Iran on February 28, which led to a ceasefire in April, although clashes between Washington and Tehran resumed in July amid a stalemate in diplomatic efforts.