Two oil tankers were struck by unidentified projectiles in and around the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the British naval body that monitors commercial shipping in the Gulf.
In the incident reported in most detail, the master of a crude oil tanker said his vessel had been hit four nautical miles east of Oman, Hiru News reported, citing a UKMTO advisory issued early on Saturday. UKMTO said all crew were reported safe and that no environmental impact had been recorded at the time of the advisory.
Al Jazeera reported that UKMTO logged two tankers hit by “unidentified projectiles” in separate incidents in the Strait on the same day. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB separately reported that an oil tanker had exploded in the Strait of Hormuz.
No party has claimed responsibility for either strike, and the origin of the projectiles has not been established.
Why the route matters to Sri Lanka
The Strait of Hormuz is the sea lane through which a large share of the world’s seaborne crude and refined fuel passes, including cargoes bound for South Asian refineries and import terminals. Disruption there feeds directly into the freight, insurance and landed-cost components of Sri Lanka’s fuel bill, which is settled in dollars and passed through to pump prices under the pricing formula the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation applies.
The attacks come while the regional conflict continues to reach Sri Lankan waters in other ways. Around 20 empty Iranian tankers remain anchored off the island, unable to obtain food, fuel and water after local service providers stopped resupplying them rather than risk United States secondary sanctions.
Wider escalation
Al Jazeera’s coverage on Saturday also recorded Yemeni government forces striking what they called military targets in the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and reported that Iranian prisoners held in the United Arab Emirates had been released and were returning to Iran.
Sri Lanka’s fuel imports have not been reported as affected.
Not reported: neither source names the vessels involved, their flags, owners or cargo, the extent of damage beyond the strike itself, or whether the two incidents are linked.
