A tanker has been reported listing near the UAE after a vessel at anchor was possibly struck by an unknown projectile, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
In a statement posted on X, UKMTO said it received a third-party report of an incident 24 nautical miles northwest of Port Rashid, UAE, on Wednesday, September 9.
The master of a tanker reported seeing a vessel listing while at anchor. The condition of the vessel may indicate water ingress following an attack by an unknown projectile, UKMTO said.
The maritime security organisation did not provide details about the projectile or identify those responsible. Authorities are investigating the incident.
UKMTO advised vessels operating in the area to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity while the investigation continues.
Merchant vessels hit by disabling fire in Gulf waters
The latest warning followed an earlier UKMTO advisory issued on Wednesday concerning several merchant vessels in the Northern Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The advisory said the vessels had been subjected to disabling fire amid ongoing military activity in the region. UKMTO said it could not confirm whether the incident had resulted in casualties or environmental damage.
Mariners were advised to consider the latest maritime security information and remain alert to the evolving operational environment.
Rising tensions in Gulf waters
The reports come amid heightened maritime tensions in the Gulf. On Tuesday, September 8, Central Command forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following attempted missile attacks on a US Navy warship over the previous two days.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it had attacked two US vessels and eight oil tankers in the Gulf in response to the US attack on the Iranian tankers. The IRGC said the 10 vessels had attempted to cross an area of the Strait of Hormuz that it described as “prohibited and unsafe”.
CENTCOM said no US Navy warship had been struck and that all attempted IRGC attacks had failed. The US military command also said US forces had destroyed 10 Iranian tankers over the past week, describing the vessels as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the Gulf and surrounding waters as military activity continues in the region.
