A tanker was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat about 78 nautical miles northeast of Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, October 16, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
It was the second tanker attack reported in the same area that day.
The vessel’s master reported damage to the aft port quarter. All crew members were accounted for and safe, UKMTO said. A full damage assessment and the environmental impact were not known at the time of the report.
The attack took place at 1922 GMT, according to the UKMTO warning. The agency did not name the tanker or say who carried out the attack. It advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity while authorities investigate.
Earlier on Friday, a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile about 68 nautical miles northeast of Al Jubail. Its crew were evacuated and no environmental impact was reported, UKMTO said in a separate warning.
Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil exploded and caught fire after hitting a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media.
The IRGC said the tanker was trying to cross the strait through a route Iran had not authorized and had switched off its positioning and radar systems. It did not name the vessel. The tanker’s identity and the exact location of the incident have not been independently established.
Iran’s state broadcaster Press TV released footage it said showed the vessel on fire. In the same statement, the IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.
Brent crude settled at $109.86 a barrel on Friday, its highest since May.
