Another oil tanker is on fire 21 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman, reportedly struck in the engine room, according to a desk-reviewed report. The cause has not been confirmed, though the report speculates US involvement. The incident follows the disabling of the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello in the same area on June 9.
A new report from the Telegram source a monitored channel, received at approximately 10:27 Jerusalem time, states that an oil tanker is burning in its engine room 21 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman — the same area where, as The Zioneer reported, the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello was disabled by US precision fire on June 9. The report speculates US involvement in today's incident, but no official confirmation or independent verification has emerged. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has not yet issued a statement on this specific fire.
This latest report follows a fast-moving thread of incidents in the same waters. At 12:40 Jerusalem on June 10, The Zioneer first reported an initial UKMTO alert of a maritime incident 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar. Within minutes, subsequent versions of that bulletin reported a mysterious explosion and engine room fire, then one casualty and two missing crew members, and finally that the struck vessel was a Greek-flagged oil tanker. The UKMTO did not attribute the strike to any actor. Separately, on June 10 at 20:12 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that US CENTCOM had disabled the M/T Settebello for a second consecutive day after its crew ignored warnings; the same bulletin noted eight vessels had been disabled since the blockade began April 13. Today's unsourced Telegram report appears to describe a distinct third vessel struck in or near those waters within 48 hours.
As The Zioneer has reported throughout this thread, the Gulf of Oman has been the site of an intensified US naval interdiction campaign against tankers attempting to bypass sanctions and sail to Iran. The campaign, which CENTCOM described as a blockade, has included precision strikes on steering and propulsion systems. The broader context includes a closure of the Strait of Hormuz declared by Iran, as reported in the thread, and heightened US aerial activity over the region.
The cause of the fire, the identity of the tanker, and any responsible party remain unconfirmed. A desk-reviewed report has not provided video, photos, or the vessel's name. The Zioneer is seeking additional sources for corroboration.
6 developments
Source and signal
- Internal intake