Suspected Projectile Hits Container Vessel Near UAE Amid Hormuz Tensions
UKMTO has advised vessels in the region to transit with caution and to report any suspicious activity while authorities continue to investigate the incident
London: The UK’s Maritime Organisation has reported a maritime security incident about 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the master of a container vessel reported that the ship sustained damage from a suspected but unidentified projectile. The extent of the damage is currently unknown and is being assessed by the crew. All crew members are reported safe and accounted for.
UKMTO has advised vessels in the region to transit with caution and to report any suspicious activity while authorities continue to investigate the incident.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump issued a sharply worded warning to Iran, urging it not to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz and cautioning that failure to remove any such mines could result in severe military consequences. He made the remarks in a post on Truth Social.
Trump stated that if Iran had deployed mines in the strait, they should be removed immediately. He warned that if mines were placed and not removed promptly, military consequences for Iran would be unprecedented.
He also said the United States was using technology and missile capabilities previously deployed against drug traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Strait of Hormuz.
In another post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that 10 inactive mine-laying boats or ships had been struck and destroyed, adding that more operations could follow.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command posted a video on X stating that US forces are working to reduce Iran’s maritime power and its ability to harass international shipping.
US CENTCOM said Iranian forces have long threatened freedom of navigation in waters vital to American, regional, and global security and prosperity.
Earlier reports by CNN, citing sources, said Iran had begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most critical energy transit point that carries about one-fifth of global crude oil shipments.
The report added that Iran still retains around 80 to 90 per cent of its small boats and mine-laying vessels and could potentially deploy hundreds of mines in the strategic waterway.