The British Navy's maritime trade agency reported late this Sunday an attack with a drone against a tanker in Omani waters, in the area of the Strait of Hormuz. The crew is being evacuated at this moment, while "the extent of the damage suffered by the ship and the possible environmental consequences of the incident are currently unknown."
In an update on a previous "incident" that affected "a tanker near the anchorage of Sohar, Oman," the nature of which had not been initially specified, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) indicated that it has "confirmation" that the vessel "was hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)."
"Local authorities are collaborating in the evacuation of the crew," explained the agency, which has not provided details on possible injuries or fatalities and has also emphasized that "at the time of this update, the assessment of the damage and the environmental impact are unknown."
Without pointing to any specific responsible party for the attack, the UKMTO has urged "vessels to navigate with caution and report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO while authorities investigate the case."
This communication from the British Navy's maritime trade agency comes after a tense last 24 hours in the region. During that period, Iran reported on two occasions explosions recorded in supertankers due to the detonation of naval mines, while the United States acknowledged on Saturday night (early Sunday in Hormuz) the firing of a projectile against a Panamanian cargo ship for ignoring its repeated warnings and attempting to breach its naval blockade against the Islamic Republic.
Additionally, the UKMTO itself had communicated hours earlier this Sunday the impact of a projectile against another ship while crossing the Strait of Hormuz —also not pointing to any attacker— although in that episode it specified that "the entire crew is fine" and that "no environmental impact has been reported."