WANA (Jul 07) – The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced early Tuesday that it has received reports of a security incident involving an oil tanker in the waters north of Oman.

 

According to a UKMTO statement, the tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile approximately 15 kilometers east of the coastal town of Lima, causing a fire onboard.

 

“No casualties or environmental damage have been reported,” the agency stated, adding that investigations into the incident are ongoing while advising nearby vessels to transit the area with caution.

 

Some sources claim that the Qatar-owned tanker Al-Raqayyat was attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz via the Omani route under the protection of the U.S. Navy when it was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings.

 

Shortly after the incident, a U.S. official speaking to Axios alleged that Iran had fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The official claimed that two commercial ships were struck by Iran, causing significant damage, though no injuries were reported.