UKMTO Reports Incident Between Tanker and Military Forces off Oman
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The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that a tanker was involved in an incident with military forces on Monday, October 19, off the coast of Duqm, Oman. According to the warning issued by the agency, the incident occurred at 10:00 UTC, approximately 121 nautical miles east of Duqm, and the vessel was not identified, nor was the nature of the interaction specified, nor whether there was damage or casualties.
Investigation Underway
According to the UKMTO advisory, identified as Advisory 178-26, the vessel was reportedly subject to an interaction amid ongoing military activity in the region. The agency noted that the authorities are aware of the episode and that the relevant investigations remain ongoing, without providing further details on what occurred at this time.
Context of Tension in Hormuz
The report comes amid a context of several attacks recorded against vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in the days prior. In parallel, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported on October 20 that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil had struck a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and fire on board. It has not been confirmed whether this episode corresponds to the same vessel mentioned by UKMTO or is a separate incident.
Iran's Account
According to a statement released by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB and reported by the Anadolu agency, the IRGC claimed that the vessel was attempting to leave the strait via an unauthorized southern route, that it had turned off its radar and navigation systems, and that it ignored warnings before striking the mine. Iranian authorities did not identify the vessel, its flag, or its operator, nor did they provide information on the crew, possible casualties, or the extent of the damage, so the account could not be independently verified.
