Container ship hit off UAE coast by 'unknown projectile': UK maritime agency

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: A container ship was hit off the coast of the United Arab Emirates by an unidentified projectile, a British maritime security agency reported on Wednesday, as Iran retaliates across the Gulf in response to US-Israeli strikes.

“The Master of a container vessel has reported that the vessel has sustained damage from a suspected but unknown projectile,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, adding the extent of the damage was unknown but all crew members were safe.

The incident took place 25 nautical miles (29 miles) northwest of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, the agency said.

It called on vessels to transit the region “with caution” while authorities investigate the incident.

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have said they had “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial chokepoint into the Gulf and one of the world’s most vital shipping routes for energy.

The crucial waterway — less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) across at its narrowest point — is shared by Iran on one side and Oman on the other.

At least 10 oil tankers in or near the strait were struck, targeted, or reported attacks between March 1 and 10, according to data compiled by the UK Maritime Trade Organisation, the International Maritime Organization, and Iranian authorities.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Tuesday of unprecedented military consequences if it mines the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran vowed that no Gulf oil would pass through the key waterway.

The White House said earlier Tuesday that the United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, after the energy secretary’s social media account posted but then deleted a claim that it did so.