Two oil tankers attacked near the Strait of Hormuz

According to a report by Sözcü, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced that two tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important routes for global oil and natural gas trade.

According to the statement from the agency, the first incident occurred off the coast of Lima, Oman. It was stated that a ship sailing in a northeasterly direction was struck by an unidentified object, resulting in damage to the engine room, but no injuries occurred.

Approximately three hours after this incident, a second report was received northeast of the city of Khasab, Oman. The captain of a tanker reported seeing a large water splash and an explosion near the ship. It was announced that no damage was detected on this vessel.

TENSIONS ARE HIGH IN THE REGION

While authorities have launched an investigation into the incidents, ships in the region have been warned to navigate with caution and report any suspicious activity. The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade passes, has recently become the epicenter of tensions between the US and Iran.

The waterway, which was allegedly effectively closed by Iran following attacks carried out by the US and Israel at the end of February, continues to be the focal point of the crisis despite an agreement reached in June. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) maintains that the region is open to commercial shipping and that thousands of ships have passed through the international waterway in the last four months.

CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE US AND IRAN

Following US President Donald Trump's statement that he had lost faith in the peace agreement and his threat to strike Iran severely, American forces resumed their attacks on Iran earlier this week. CENTCOM announced that the targets were command centers, naval assets, and missile and drone facilities belonging to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Tehran administration, in response to these moves, targeted American military bases across the Middle East. It was reported that retaliatory attacks were carried out against US locations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

News Source: 12punto