Ship reported on fire in Strait of Hormuz, crew status unknown
The British maritime agency UKMTO said a ship was reported on fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The status of the crew is unknown and no cause has been given.
- UKMTO said a ship on fire was reported in the Strait of Hormuz, 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman.
- The crew's status is unknown, and no cause or damage details have been given.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards said three tankers exploded after hitting sea mines in the past 24 hours.
- Attacks on ships in the strait are at their highest since the war began, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
The British maritime agency UKMTO said on Thursday that a ship on fire had been reported in the Strait of Hormuz. UKMTO is run by the British Royal Navy. It gave no details on the cause of the blaze or on any casualties.
According to UKMTO, the captain of another ship reported the fire on a vessel spotted 9 nautical miles (17 kilometres) north of the town of Khasab in Oman. The status of the crew is unknown, and no information has emerged so far on damage or environmental impact, DW reported.
Separately, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps said on Thursday that three tankers had exploded and caught fire in the past 24 hours after hitting sea mines while using an unauthorized route. It is not known whether the ship reported to UKMTO is one of those three tankers.
Iran has recently stepped up attacks on ships it sees as using the waterway without proper authorization. Since the Middle East war was triggered in February by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Tehran has sought to control the strait. According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, attacks on ships in the strait are at the highest level since the war began.
Oil exports through the waterway fell again last week, according to shipping data provider Kpler. The US Navy, which is enforcing its own blockade of Iranian vessels, has recently escorted tankers through the strait in the area where the burning ship was reportedly sighted.
Iran also said it had shot down another US drone east of the Strait of Hormuz. Tasnim news agency, citing the Revolutionary Guards, said a new advanced air defense system was used. Tasnim reported that Iran's armed forces have destroyed 14 drones of this type and more than 50 MQ-9 Reaper drones since the war broke out.
DW reported that US President Donald Trump is widely seen to be considering fresh strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections on November 3. In remarks quoted by DW, Trump said: "we may do another little Epic Fury". A third US aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are heading to the region.
Why it matters
Pakistan depends on oil and LPG that can be affected by disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Reports say oil exports through the waterway have already fallen.
