Security conditions around the Strait of Hormuz have deteriorated further following a new series of attacks involving commercial and military vessels.
Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the strategic waterway. The announcement followed U.S. strikes against five Iranian crude oil tankers.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported incidents involving several merchant vessels in the Northern Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
According to UKMTO, the vessels were subjected to disabling fire during ongoing military activity in the region.
UKMTO said it could not confirm whether the incidents caused casualties or environmental damage.
US strikes five Iranian tankers
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on 8 September.
CENTCOM said the action followed two attempted ballistic missile attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against a U.S. Navy warship.
According to CENTCOM, the warship avoided the attacks and no American personnel were injured.
The five tankers were identified as Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco and Derya.
Four were struck in the Gulf of Oman, while Derya was targeted near Kharg Island.
CENTCOM said the crews were instructed to abandon the vessels before the attacks.
Iran claims attacks on vessels near Hormuz
Following the U.S. action, Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC said its targets included two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers attempting to cross an area that Iran has declared off-limits.
The Iranian claims have not been independently verified.
The latest incidents represent another escalation in the security situation around one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
Tanker struck in Iraqi waters
Separately, the Panama-flagged tanker New Andros was struck by a drone in Iraqi territorial waters on Wednesday, according to Iraqi port officials cited by Reuters.
The tanker was carrying around 2 million barrels of Iraqi fuel oil.
A fire broke out on board following the attack. However, no casualties were reported among the vessel’s 22 crew members.
UKMTO also reported a separate incident around 24 nautical miles from Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates.
A vessel was observed listing while at anchor. UKMTO said this could indicate that the ship had taken on water after being struck by an unknown projectile.
Hormuz vessel traffic remains depressed
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below normal levels.
Preliminary data from ship-tracking firm Kpler, cited by Reuters, showed that six commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
That was down from nine on Monday and below the 10-day average of around 12 vessels.
Of the six vessels recorded on Tuesday, five were inbound and one was outbound.
The figures exclude ships that may have crossed the waterway with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off.
Before the conflict, around 125 large commercial vessels typically passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day.
The latest attacks add further uncertainty for commercial shipping operating across the Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz.
