Another Tanker Hit in Strait of Hormuz as Attacks Continue
A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile at about 1750 UTC on 1 October, causing a fire onboard, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations Warning 147-26, which said the crew was reported safe. The warning follows three UKMTO warnings issued on Wednesday covering tanker attacks in the strait on 29 September, and an earlier warning involving a tanker struck while outbound on 28 September. The Joint Maritime Information Center counted four confirmed attacks or disruptions in the strait over the previous 96 hours and maintained the regional threat level at SEVERE, and no party was identified as responsible for Thursday's strike.
Why it matters: The delayed and voluntary reporting behind these warnings indicates that the public incident record understates the number of attacks on commercial shipping, which bears on assessments of maritime security in the strait.