A tanker sailing in the Gulf of Oman was damaged by an explosion near the vessel’s waterline on Tuesday, maritime authorities said, as tensions remained high around the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
The blast occurred about 60 nautical miles east of Muscat and described it as an “external explosion”, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
What we know
While the agency did not specify the cause of the incident, it confirmed that the ship and its crew were safe.
“The crew and vessel are safe, although the master reports some bunker fuel has discharged into the sea,” UKMTO said in a statement.
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The incident comes at a time of heightened military activity in the region. Iran has been laying mines in nearby waters as part of efforts to disrupt movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route that handles nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
Hours before the explosion, US forces carried out overnight strikes targeting missile facilities in Iran as well as boats allegedly involved in laying mines in Gulf waters.
Fresh US strikes on Iran targets
In a major development, the US Central Command on Tuesday announced fresh strikes on missile sites in southern Iran and on boats allegedly attempting to lay mines.
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“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US Central Command, said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway off southern Iran through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas passed before the conflict began with US-Israeli strikes in February. Tehran later retaliated by effectively closing the strait, stranding hundreds of ships and disrupting the global economy.
The strait has since emerged as a major pressure point for Tehran in negotiations, alongside the long-standing issue of Iran’s nuclear programme and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran, in turn, wants the US to lift the military blockade on Iranian ports that began on April 17.
(With inputs from AFP)
