As peace negotiations between the United States and Iran remain in limbo, fresh tensions flared up near the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken towards Iran. Meanwhile, an India-flagged cargo ship near the coast of Oman sank after a suspected drone attack on Wednesday.
Amid the fresh tensions, it remains unclear who is behind the attacks, but they came shortly after a senior Iranian official reiterated Tehran’s control over the key strait.
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With the US-Israel war on Iran now in its third month, the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key passage for 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supply, remains blocked due to two reasons: Iran’s blockade of marine traffic and vessels connected to the US, and the US’ naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The Hormuz blockade has also driven oil prices to their highest level since 2022, with Brent crude hitting its highest level since 2022.
Ship anchored in the UAE seized
On Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received reports that the ship had been seized and was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers, 44 miles) northeast of the Fujairah port.
UKMTO did not reveal details as to which country the ship belonged to, but added that it was investigating the issue. The British military added that the vessel was headed towards Iranian waters after its capture.
Furthermore, the seizure of the ship happened hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had “secretly visited” the UAE during the Iran war, which the Gulf nation has denied.
Indian-flagged ship sunk off Oman coast
A day before, an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after it was struck in a suspected drone attack.
The drone attack sparked a fire on the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah in the UAE.
India’s external affairs ministry condemned the attack, calling it unacceptable, but did not say who attacked the ship.
“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable, and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted. “India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the statement from the MEA read.
South Korean ship hit in strait
Earlier this month, a South Korean cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz was struck, causing a fire on board and damage to the lower stern hull.
With Seoul launching a probe into the incident, Yonhap news agency reported that the possibility of an entity other than Iran targeting the ship remains low.
“Once we go through the investigation and present the evidence, I trust that the Iranian side will respond in an appropriate way,” the official told the local news agency.
(With inputs from AP and Reuters)
