The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Thursday, October 29, that it had received a report of a vessel on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, around 9 nautical miles — about 17 kilometres — north of Khasab, Oman. The sighting was reported by the master of a third-party vessel passing through the area, UKMTO said in its Warning 185-26.
Source: Reuters via Devdiscourse
UKMTO said the status of the crew is unknown, and that there is no damage assessment or environmental impact report at present. It advised vessels transiting the area to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity, while authorities investigate. UKMTO did not say what caused the fire, and it has not confirmed that the vessel was struck by a projectile.
Source: AFP via Pakistan Point
Maritime security firm Vanguard gave a more alarming account, reported by Splash247: the master of a passing Panama-flagged tanker said the unidentified vessel was on fire and mostly underwater, raising fears that it may have sunk or be sinking, and another vessel was seen nearby, possibly assisting — although no rescue operation has been confirmed. The ship's identity, flag, ownership and cargo have not been established, and there has been no confirmation of casualties or of any crew evacuation. Those details remain unverified.
Source: Splash247 (Vanguard)
In a separate claim that has not been independently verified, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking sea mines in the strait over the past 24 hours, on routes Tehran calls unauthorised, and said the vessels had switched off their navigation systems and ignored warnings. It is not clear whether the IRGC claim refers to the same vessel UKMTO reported off Khasab, and no other authority has confirmed the three-tanker account, so it is reported here only as Iran's claim.
Why the Strait of Hormuz matters
The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman's Musandam Peninsula, is one of the world's most important energy corridors, carrying a large share of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments from the Gulf — including supplies on which India and its large Gulf workforce depend. Shipping through the strait has been repeatedly disrupted during the ongoing US-Iran confrontation, and Splash247 noted that other vessels have been lost in the strait in recent months, including the bulk carrier Cape Dao, which sank off Khasab in September. Any confirmed sinking or spill from Thursday's incident would add to insurers' and shipowners' fears on a route where war-risk costs have already climbed sharply.