Two Sailors Missing, 23 Evacuated After Tanker Attacked in Strait of Hormuz
Two sailors have been reported missing and 23 others rescued after an oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Oman’s Maritime Security Centre confirmed that the Panama-flagged tanker, El Gaia, was being towed towards an Omani port on Tuesday after a severe fire broke out in its engine room.
Omani authorities added that the vessel was targeted some 1.3 nautical miles (2.4 kilometres) north of the Musandam Peninsula.
The sequence of events has prompted conflicting claims from various parties. On Monday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the tanker struck a sea mine and caught fire whilst traversing a route they described as restricted and unsafe.
The United States military, however, insisted the Iranian account was untrue. American officials said the tanker had been struck by an Iranian missile last month and was then hit again by an unmanned drone over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported receiving information about a fire aboard the vessel after it was struck by an unidentified projectile whilst transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Sunday.
A similar incident occurred earlier this month, when Iran made comparable claims regarding an event that killed two Filipino sailors aboard the Saudi-owned oil supertanker Sidr.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated the Sidr caught fire after striking a sea mine. Saudi authorities, however, denied this and insisted the vessel had been targeted by Iran, a claim supported by reports from maritime security firms stating the ship was hit by a projectile north of Musandam.
According to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at least 22 sailors have been killed in 79 confirmed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East region since the war between the US-Israel alliance and Iran broke out in late February.
Separately, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that enemy drones targeted two fishing vessels near Kargan Port overnight. Quoting the deputy governor of Hormozgan Province, several fishermen were reported missing, with search operations still under way.
In response to developments in the region, a spokesperson for the US Central Command (Centcom) issued a statement.
“Iranian small boats recently attempted to seize US unmanned surface vessels but were unsuccessful after Centcom responded forcefully,” said Captain Tim Hawkins.
The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial corridor normally traversed by a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, is now effectively paralysed as a result of Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Although the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement in June to end the war and reopen the strait, the deal collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping lanes continued and Washington reimposed its blockade. Iran insists it will not relinquish control over the waterway and continues to target vessels using the southern route through Omani waters.