DUBAI: Two oil tankers were struck by unidentified projectiles in separate incidents around the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said, raising fresh concerns about security on one of the world’s most important shipping routes, reported by Al Jazeera News.
UKMTO said the first tanker suffered a small fire and a temporary power failure after being hit while leaving the strait. The fire was later extinguished, and the vessel continued its journey. A second crude oil tanker reported being struck east of Oman hours later. No casualties or environmental damage were reported in either incident, and authorities are investigating. No group claimed responsibility.
Iranian media separately reported that another tanker, which it described as being “in violation,” had exploded. The report could not be independently verified.
The incidents come as tensions remain high across the Middle East. Yemen’s internationally recognised government said its forces were attacking what it called legitimate military targets in Houthi-held Sana’a, while heavy fighting continued on the western outskirts of Taiz city.
In Somalia, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera that his country would not accept an Israeli presence “under any circumstances.” He said Israel was seeking to establish a naval base in Berbera and use the city’s airport, adding that Somalia would resist being drawn into regional conflicts.
In Gaza, an Israeli air attack on an apartment in western Gaza City killed at least five people, including four women, and wounded at least six others, according to local medical sources. The attack added to fears that the conflict could spread further across the region.english.ahram.
