Ship reported on fire off Oman as Iran escalation fears mount
A ship in the Strait of Hormuz is reported to be on fire, a British maritime agency says. Iran has meanwhile said it has shot down another US drone as military tensions with Washington continue.
A ship was reported on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British maritime agency UKMTO on Thursday. The cause of the blaze or any casualties is not yet known. Iran has recently escalated attacks on ships it believes are operating without authorization. The Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) stated three tankers had exploded and caught fire in the last 24 hours after hitting mines while using unauthorized routes, but the reported incident is unclear.
This follows Iran's downing of another US drone east of the waterway, heightening fears of a new escalation in the US-Iran conflict. The ship was spotted 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, with the crew's status unknown and no reported damage or environmental impact yet. Since the conflict began in February, Tehran has sought control of the strait, a crucial global oil and natural gas transit route, and attacked unauthorized ships.
Oil exports through the waterway dropped last week, per shipping data provider Kpler. US Navy escorts of tankers in the strait area are at their highest since the war began. Iran claims to have destroyed 14 drones of a new type and over 50 MQ-9 Reaper drones since the war started, though verification is pending. As US President Donald Trump considers fresh strikes post-midterm elections, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly fired the Pentagon's top military planner, without providing a reason.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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