Two Tankers Attacked Near Strait of Hormuz
Two tankers were hit off Oman's coast within hours of each other on August 1, UKMTO reports, as shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped 77 percent in a single day amid the Iran-US standoff.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed two separate tanker incidents off Oman's Musandam Peninsula on August 1: an unidentified projectile struck a tanker near Limah, damaging its engine room, while a second tanker near Khasab reported a nearby explosion. No casualties were reported in either case. Ship-tracking firm Kpler recorded a 77 percent drop in Strait of Hormuz transits in a single day, from 22 vessels to 5. The U.S. Central Command said it has rerouted 30 commercial vessels, disabled two ships and boarded two others while enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports that began in mid-July. Iran has said the strait is closed; U.S. Central Command disputes that, saying it remains open to commercial traffic. Source: UKMTO, Reuters.