Oman has evacuated 16 crew members from the Saudi-owned tanker Sidr following an Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Oman’s Maritime Security Centre.
The Sidr, operated by Saudi shipping company Bahri, was one of two supertankers carrying Saudi oil hit while transiting the Strait on 31 August. Saudi Arabia said on September 3 that two Filipino seafarers were killed in the attack. The tanker was carrying 25 crew members, with 16 now evacuated and seven still unaccounted for.
A report of an incident approximately 24 nautical miles northwest of Port Rashid, UAE.
UPDATE: A seafarer was killed in an incident involving the now identified Gibraltar-flagged oil products tanker Hercules Star while the vessel was at anchor off Dubai, its charterer, Peninsula, confirmed. “It is with deep sadness and regret that we confirm one fatality,” Peninsula said in a statement, without providing further details on the circumstances surrounding the death.
Initial assessments from maritime security sources indicate that the tanker may have been struck by a drone.
A Greek-owned tanker, New Andros, was attacked by a drone while sailing in Iraqi territorial waters, with the two Greek crew members on board reported to be safe and in good health.
As reported, the Panamanian-flagged New Andros, which is Greek-owned, was carrying around 2 million barrels of Iraqi fuel oil when it was struck by the drone.
Iraqi rescue boats were deployed to the area and extinguished the resulting fire. All crew members are reported safe.
Watch the video at the following link.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2097652213799584233
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf. Several commercial vessels in the Gulf came under fire overnight, with some reportedly sustaining damage and being taken out of service.
The threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea is intensifying, with shipowners, operators and masters facing a growing arsenal of potential attacks, from armed skiffs and drones to anti-ship missiles.
Anew marine security advisory from the Liberia Maritime Authority warns that multiple vessels making innocent passage through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have come under threat or attack in recent months. In several incidents, vessels have been targeted by missiles launched from drones, while others have been ordered to alter course and head towards Yemen.
The range of threats is widening. Anti-ship and ballistic missiles, water-borne improvised explosive devices and drones are among the weapons identified in the advisory. Mines have also been deployed off Yemen’s coast, with some reportedly breaking free from their moorings and drifting into established shipping lanes.
There have also been reports of unmanned underwater vehicles operating in the region, although no vessel has so far been attacked by such devices.
Yemen coastline remains high-risk area