London [UK], March 12 (ANI): The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued an urgent “attack” warning following a serious maritime incident in the northern Gulf involving multiple commercial vessels.
According to a series of updates posted on X, the UKMTO received reports of an incident occurring five nautical miles south of Al Basrah in Iraq territorial waters. The information, sourced from a company security officer and a third party, initially indicated that two tankers had been struck by an unknown projectile.
The scale of the situation intensified as the company security officer of one affected vessel confirmed that the attack had caused a fire onboard. Despite the damage, the officer reported that the crew had been evacuated and were safe.
In a subsequent update, officials confirmed that a second tanker had also sustained significant damage. The company security officer of the second vessel confirmed that it had been struck and that the attack caused a fire onboard. All crew members from the vessel were evacuated safely.
While the vessels sustained damage, the agency said that no environmental impact had been reported so far. Investigations to identify the second vessel affected are continuing as authorities monitor the situation.
In the meantime, the UKMTO issued a safety directive advising vessels to transit the area with caution and report any suspicious activity.
The UKMTO also reported another incident 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. According to the report, the ship’s master said a container ship was struck by an unknown projectile, causing a small fire onboard. All crew members were reported safe.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated further following reports that an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf was targeted and caught fire on Wednesday.
According to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, the vessel was allegedly attacked by Iran, with footage of the incident circulating widely across social media platforms. Sharing the video on Instagram, Anadolu Agency reported that a foreign oil tanker caught fire in territorial waters near Basra, Iraq, after an attack near Umm Qasr port in the Persian Gulf.
The footage showed a large blaze from a distance before the vessel was seen engulfed in flames, with a significant fireball rising into the sky during the incident.
The latest strike comes amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel following joint military operations that reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The region has witnessed a surge in maritime hostilities in recent weeks.
On March 1, Iran launched its first sea-based drone strike against the crude oil tanker MKD VYOM. The vessel was targeted approximately 44 nautical miles off the coast of Oman, resulting in the death of one crew member.
At the time, the UKMTO issued a public advisory stating that an unmanned surface vessel struck the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker just above the waterline, triggering an explosion and fire in the engine room.
In a separate incident, a small craft reportedly struck the Bahamas-flagged tanker Sonangol Namibe while it was anchored near Iraq’s Khor al Zubair port.
India has also expressed grave concern after the Thai vessel Mayuree Naree, which was bound for India, was hit by two projectiles of unknown origin while navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said, “India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Precious lives, including those of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict, and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seem to be increasing.”
In response to the growing maritime threat, President Donald Trump and the US military have discussed the potential destruction of Iranian mine-laying vessels to prevent the placement of mines in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. (ANI)
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