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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced, yesterday Friday, that it had attacked a gas tanker while it was attempting to cross Hormuz via an "illegal route", as Tehran seeks to impose its control over the strait since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East.
Maritime tracking sources also reported on Friday that an unidentified projectile caused a fire to break out on board a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, but they pointed to a different vessel.
The Revolutionary Guard explained in a statement carried by Iranian state media that its naval forces are obeying "the orders of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the desire of the Iranian people to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz".
It added that within this framework, "hours ago, it struck the mega gas tanker NV Sunshine as it attempted to pass through the illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz".
Iran insists that ships request its permission to take the route it prefers in the vital strait for hydrocarbon exports from the Gulf.
However, a growing number of ships have taken the risk of following an alternative route running along the southern coast of the strait adjacent to the coasts of the Sultanate of Oman.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a ship was struck by a projectile, causing a fire to break out on board, while it was located 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) off Al Jazirah Al Hamra in the UAE, and to the southwest of the strait.
The authority added in a statement that "the status of the crew, the extent of the damage, and the environmental impact are currently unknown, and authorities are investigating the matter."
The British security firm Vanguard also reported the incident, identifying the vessel as the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker GEM NO.2.
This incident comes days after a tanker was targeted off the coast of Qatar, about 500 kilometres west of the vital strait.
Ships in the Gulf and those trying to cross the strait have been subjected to repeated attacks since the war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February.
Ships in the Gulf and those trying to cross the strait have been subjected to repeated attacks since the war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Iran has disrupted navigation in the strait since then, although a number of ships manage to cross, and US media has reported on US military efforts to protect ships taking the southern route in Hormuz.
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