Tanker Struck by Limpet Mines Near Oman in Strait of Hormuz, Sources Say
A small boat attached two limpet mines to a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, setting its engine room on fire and briefly disabling the. Tanker Struck — full…
A small boat attached two limpet mines to a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, setting its engine room on fire and briefly disabling the vessel, maritime security sources said. The attack happened Thursday about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, as the tanker headed out of the strait.
The crew was safe, the fire was extinguished and no environmental damage was reported, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Friday. The vessel resumed its voyage toward its next port of call.
Vessel identity remains uncertain
Three maritime security sources identified the explosives as limpet mines, which are attached to a ship’s hull. UKMTO’s advisory described a small boat approaching the tanker and placing two explosive devices above the waterline. The agency did not name the vessel.
A separate incident report said Oman had evacuated 25 crew members from a burning tanker called RITI, a Panama-flagged merchant ship identified by vessel-tracking data as a crude oil tanker. It was not clear whether RITI was the ship struck by the explosives.
Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said it carried out the evacuation. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately said three oil tankers had been stopped while using what it called unauthorised routes through the strait, following incidents or mine strikes. The accounts do not establish whether those vessels included the tanker attacked by the small boat.
The distinctions matter. Several shipping incidents have been reported in the waterway, but the available details do not confirm that they involved the same ships.
Pressure on a vital shipping route
The strike adds another threat to commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil exports. Shipping has faced repeated attacks since the conflict between the United States and Iran began in February, and the use of hull-attached explosives introduces a different reported method of attack.
For crews and operators, the immediate picture is mixed: the tanker was able to continue its voyage, and authorities reported no injuries or pollution, but the vessel was temporarily disabled after a fire in its engine room. UKMTO has advised ships to transit with caution.
Authorities have not identified who carried out the attack. The incident occurred roughly 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Khasab.
