A tanker has been attacked again in the Strait of Hormuz, UK Maritime Trade Operations said on Thursday.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Authority said it received a report from a third party stating that the tanker was hit by an unknown projectile while crossing the strait, which led to a fire.
The crew was reported to be unharmed, but the damage to the ship and the environmental consequences are still unknown. The authorities are conducting investigations and it is not immediately known who is responsible.
The authority said: “Vessels are advised to transit with caution and to report any suspicious activity to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Authority, while the authorities conduct the investigation.” geopolitical
Iran has largely closed traffic through the strait as part of its ongoing conflict with the United States.
The continuing threat to maritime navigation is causing severe disruption to global trade in oil, gas and fertilisers.
Negotiations between the United States and Iran have faltered again, with disagreement continuing over a proposed arrangement of steps to end the war. US President Donald Trump hinted at resuming the strikes, while Iranian officials said that their country was prepared for “all scenarios.” geopolitical
Trump told Time magazine that intensifying the bombing of Iran after the midterm elections in November is “possible” if a satisfactory agreement cannot be reached, after other statements in which he said: “We will eliminate them or we will reach an agreement.” But the time is drawing near. On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal quoted American officials as saying that the Pentagon is sending a third aircraft carrier and ships carrying marines to the Middle East, adding between 9,000 and 10,000 military personnel arriving by the end of November, the month in which Trump told his aides that he expects the bombing of Iran to resume.
In Tehran, Mehdi Fadaili, media spokesman for the Iranian Supreme Leader’s office, said that the armed forces are prepared for a “war of attrition” or a “lightning operation,” adding that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued orders regarding all scenarios.
In a related context, British counter-terrorism police announced yesterday the arrest of a 27-year-old man who holds dual British and Iranian citizenship in the Westminster area in central London, on suspicion of “preparing terrorist acts,” in connection with the incident that occurred near Fairford Air Base in southwest England. Police said, according to the BBC, that another 26-year-old British man was also subjected to questioning under legal warning, while two properties in the area were searched.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior confirmed that the initial investigations into the Flydubai incident, carried out by the competent authorities in the country with the participation of a security team from the Emirates, indicated that there was an assault on the pilot of the plane by his co-pilot, which resulted in both of them sustaining injuries.
An official source at the Ministry stated, in a statement yesterday, that the competent authorities initiated the necessary procedures with the emergency situation that was declared on the Flydubai flight, and granted it permission to make an emergency landing in Tabuk on Wednesday.
The source explained that the plane landed safely with 174 passengers on board, in addition to the flight crew consisting of 8 individuals, and all of them were provided with the necessary care, indicating that all passengers completed their journey with an alternative plane via “Fly Dubai.” The statement added that the flight crew returned to Dubai on another plane of the same airline, except for the pilot and his assistant, who were taken to the hospital to receive treatment, and then left Saudi Arabia heading to Abu Dhabi yesterday morning, accompanied by the Emirati security team.
