An unknown projectile struck a tanker at anchor 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman, on Wednesday, in waters overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said — the latest in a string of attacks on shipping around the world's most important oil chokepoint.
The strike started a fire on board, which was extinguished. The tanker remains at anchor, and all crew were reported safe, according to UKMTO's warning notice. No group has claimed responsibility, and UKMTO has not attributed the attack.
It was not the only incident in the area this week. In a separate warning, UKMTO reported that another tanker was struck by an unknown projectile on Tuesday, 30 nautical miles southeast of Iraq's Al Faw port. In that case, too, all crew were reported safe and no damage was sustained.
A fire that erupted on board was extinguished, the tanker remains at anchor, and all crew were reported safe. — UKMTO, on the Bukha incident
Bukha sits on Oman's Musandam Peninsula, the thumb of land that reaches toward Iran at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Ships anchored there are waiting at the edge of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas passes every day. UKMTO, which is run by the Royal Navy, has issued a run of warnings in recent weeks — projectiles, mines and strikes on tankers in and around the strait — as the regional war has spilled into the shipping lanes, and vessels have been advised to transit the area with caution and report any suspicious activity.
For now, the Bukha tanker sits at anchor with its fire out and its crew unhurt — one more warning logged, in waters the global economy cannot do without.