UKMTO reports a tanker was struck by two projectiles while passing through the Persian Gulf off the coast of Qatar on Wednesday.
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The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported a tanker was struck by two projectiles while passing through the Persian Gulf off the coast of Qatar on Wednesday.
According to UKMTO, the attack took place about 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar. The tanker was hit by “two unidentified projectiles.”
“The status of the crew, damage assessment, and environmental impact are unconfirmed at present,” the bulletin said on Thursday morning.
Madinat ash Shamal is one of the northernmost cities in Qatar, close to the Persian Gulf entrance of the Strait of Hormuz. The location of the attack is also close to the southern coast of Iran.
Iranian state television said on Thursday that two oil tankers, plus a towboat, struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed on Thursday that the ships were damaged while attempting to use “unauthorized passages” through the Strait of Hormuz. The tugboat was ostensibly damaged while attempting to aid one of the other ships.
The IRGC also claimed that its electronic warfare unit took control of two America LUCAS drones, forced them to land safely on Iranian soil, and captured them.
“The IRGC said its naval forces continue to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the United States is encouraging vessels to pass through the mined route, imposing heavy insurance costs for damaged ships on American taxpayers and its regional allies,” reported Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The IRGC added that “attempts to violate regulations in the Strait of Hormuz would only bring further financial losses and greater political defeats for the United States.”
By Thursday afternoon, Iranian forces claimed that a total of five ships had been damaged while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, all of them by hitting naval mines. None of the ships were identified, and it was not clear if any of them was the ship described by UKMTO.
The National noted there was “little to confirm Iran’s claims” in terms of publicly available information.
Last month, UKMTO published a report that said it was having trouble confirming attacks in the Strait of Hormuz region because so many ships were running “dark,” with their transponders turned off, and many vessels are choosing not to report attacks they suffer while passing through the strait.
