Vessel reported on fire in Strait of Hormuz: UK maritime agency

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said late Thursday that a vessel was on fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

"UKMTO has received a report of an incident 25NM Northeast of Khasab, Oman in the Strait of Hormuz. A third party has reported that a vessel transiting outbound is on fire, the cause is unknown at time of report," the agency said in a statement.

The status of the crew, extent of damage and potential environmental impact remained unknown.

"Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO whilst authorities investigate," the statement added.

The incident comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the US about navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy and commodity supplies.

In February, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and US targets in the region before a ceasefire agreement was reached in April.

The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June concerning freedom of navigation in the strait, but its implementation stalled over disagreements related to security in the strategic waterway as tensions continued to escalate.

İlayda Çakırtekin