Fires and possible projectile attack damage merchant ships in Gulf region
Several merchant vessels in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman suffered disabling fires amid regional military activity, while another ship near Port Rashid listed, possibly after a projectile strike.
Overnight military activity in the Gulf region led to disabling fires on several merchant ships operating in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. The agency could not verify any injuries or ecological harm from the fires. On the same day, another vessel anchored near Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates was seen listing, which officials think may be the result of water intake after being struck by an unidentified projectile.
These events come after U.S. Central Command forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following attempted missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later announced they had targeted two U.S. ships and eight oil tankers in the Gulf, accusing them of trying to cross a zone they labeled "prohibited and unsafe" in the Strait of Hormuz.
