Britain Reports New Attack on Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz
Britain’s Maritime Trade Centre has said a cargo ship came under attack by unknown projectiles overnight near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz. The body said no further details have yet been released about the extent of the damage, the identity of the vessel or its nationality.
According to Al Jazeera, citing the centre, initial reports of the incident have been released, but no additional information is available so far on how the attack was carried out or the condition of the ship. British officials have only said the approximate location of the incident was near Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a report published yesterday, the British Maritime Trade Operations Centre also said that only 151 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz inbound or outbound over the past seven days. According to the report, since February 28, and at the same time as the start of US hostilities against Iran, 56 cases of damage to ships have been recorded in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters.
The centre added that this figure does not include the two most recent attacks. It said the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz along the coast of Oman, which the United States has described as a temporary alternative route, remains the most dangerous passage, with 16 of the 18 projectile attacks reported since July 6 occurring on this route.
According to the report, no US-flagged ships have been recorded passing through this route. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints for the transport of oil and petroleum products, and any security incident there affects ship traffic and energy markets.
