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Two vessels have come under attack close to the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours, with one getting seized and another sinking.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel was seized by “unauthorized personnel” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and was heading toward Iranian territorial waters.
In an advisory warning, the maritime agency said it received a report of an incident approximately 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah in the UAE. It added that the ship’s company security officer reported that “the vessel has been taken by unauthorized personnel while at anchor and is now bound for Iranian Territorial Waters.”
The agency noted it continues to investigate the incident and advised vessels sailing in the area to report any suspicious activity.
Another incident was reported near the waterway by the Indian foreign ministry, which said in a statement that an Indian ship carrying livestock sank after getting hit by an unidentified explosive object, suspected to be a drone or missile, off the northern coast of Oman. All 14 Indian crew members were rescued from the vessel, Haji Ali, by Omani authorities.
“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable,” the ministry said in a statement released on May 14, adding that “targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided”.
The Strait of Hormuz — a choke point for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas — has been very much under Iranian control since the beginning of the American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic on February 28.
Last week, the naval forces of the U.S. and Iran clashed. Iranian tankers were hit, and three American warships were targeted in response.
It is clear that the ship seized near the UAE was taken to Iran. As for the Indian ship, it is possible that it was targeted by the U.S. Navy by mistake. The vessel is small and made out of wood, similar to boats usually used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Overall, the latest attacks shows that tensions are still high in the Strait of Hormuz. With talks between the U.S. and Iran failing to produce any understanding, war will likely resume soon.
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