The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed a missile attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman early Friday, according to a report received by The Zioneer. The vessel, carrying 2.5 million barrels of oil, caught fire — the fifth commercial tanker targeted in the Strait of Hormuz in four days.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed a missile attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman early Friday, according to reports received by The Zioneer. The vessel, carrying 2.5 million barrels of oil, caught fire — the fifth commercial tanker attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in 96 hours.
The Zioneer has been tracking the maritime escalation since Wednesday. An Iranian report at 23:42 Wednesday claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy had struck three vessels since the previous night. By Thursday morning, intelligence firm Marisks reported three oil tankers had been attacked on Tuesday. Thursday evening, a tanker was struck by an unidentified charge, causing a fire; the crew was reported safe. Shortly after midnight Friday, UKMTO confirmed another missile strike on a tanker, followed by the fifth attack just after 01:00 Friday.
The IRGC has claimed responsibility for earlier strikes in the campaign. As The Zioneer reported on September 27, the IRGC claimed it had struck seven Emirati oil tankers in the strait. The group has described its operations as targeting vessels that bypass its blockade through ship-to-ship oil transfers.
No claim of responsibility has been made for the latest attack. Casualty and damage assessments remain pending.
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