The key facts

  • UKMTO received a Mayday distress call on VHF channel 16 reporting a vessel struck by an unknown projectile
  • The incident occurred at 15:09 GMT on 1 November
  • The vessel, casualties, and source of the projectile were not identified; a series of tanker attacks had already occurred in the region in October

Incident in the Strait of Hormuz

The UK-based UKMTO centre reported that on 1 November, in the Strait of Hormuz, a vessel was, according to available information, struck by an unknown projectile. In its notice to mariners, the centre stated that the captain of a merchant vessel transmitted a Mayday distress call, received on VHF channel 16, reporting that another vessel had been hit. The time of the incident was given as 15:09 GMT on 1 November.

What is known and what remains unknown

UKMTO did not identify the vessel that was struck and provided no information about casualties, damage, or the source of the projectile. Vessels have been advised to proceed with caution and to report any suspicious activity while the investigation continues. According to maritime security sources, a series of attacks on commercial tankers took place in October in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, some of which resulted in fires and damage to the vessels. The Anadolu news agency links the escalation of tensions to the ongoing strain between the United States and Iran: according to its reporting, the war began on 28 February, a truce was reached in April, and hostilities resumed in July amid a stalemate in diplomatic negotiations. This information about the course of the conflict remains the outlet's attribution and has not been independently confirmed in the publication.