A commercial tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel, British maritime authorities said on Monday, as attacks on shipping in the region continue to escalate.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident occurred about 8 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, at approximately 20:10 UTC on July 20.
According to UKMTO, the vessel's company security officer reported that all crew members safely evacuated into a lifeboat after the strike. Authorities are investigating the incident, and no pollution has been reported.
The latest attack follows another incident late on July 19, when a vessel sailing 17 nautical miles east of Dibba, United Arab Emirates, sustained damage to its steering gear after being hit by an unknown projectile. All crew members were reported safe.
The vessel was identified as the VLCC Acheloos, owned by Greek shipping company Dynacom Tankers, making it the second vessel operated by the company to come under attack within 24 hours.
Earlier, Dynacom's product tanker Kavomaleas was also struck in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire that forced its crew to abandon the ship.
Shipping concerns deepen
The latest incident means at least three commercial vessels have come under attack in and around the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, intensifying concerns over security along one of the world's most critical energy shipping routes.
The attacks come as the United States continues military operations targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its latest strikes targeted Iranian command centres, maritime assets, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems to reduce Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the escalating conflict, CENTCOM said commercial shipping continues through the waterway, with US forces facilitating approximately 900 vessel transits since early May.
Shipping traffic plunges
Maritime data, however, shows a sharp decline in traffic since hostilities between the United States and Iran resumed.
According to Clarksons Research, vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen to around 12 per day, nearly 90% below pre-conflict levels over the past five days.
Crude oil shipments have also dropped significantly, averaging about 1.5 million barrels per day, down from roughly 10 million barrels per day in early July.
The research firm added that no mainstream very large gas carriers (VLGCs) have departed the Gulf in the past 10 days, while no fully laden Qatari LNG carriers have transited the Strait for nearly two weeks.
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