Two vessels were struck by projectiles off the coast of Oman on 10 September, according to an incident report issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The incident took place approximately six nautical miles from another vessel whose master reported seeing four projectiles hit two ships. One of the vessels caught fire following the attack.
Maritime security company Vanguard Tech identified one of the ships as the Panama-flagged Romance, a 50,000 dwt crude oil tanker built in 2009 and owned and managed from the United Arab Emirates.
According to Vanguard, the first vessel was hit by two projectiles, resulting in a fire on board. Two additional projectiles then struck the second vessel.
There were no immediate details regarding the condition of the crews or the extent of the damage sustained by either ship.
The attacks occurred just four nautical miles west of Khasab, Oman.
The latest update from the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), covering maritime incidents reported across the Middle East in recent days, had not yet included the two attacks. However, its assessment recorded eight separate incidents involving vessels in the region between 8 and 10 September.
The first five incidents, all reported on 8 September, involved US attacks against Iranian tankers operating in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf.
Crews aboard LPG tanker Horizon 1 and tankers Derya, Kaviz and Charminar were warned by US forces before the vessels were subsequently “rendered inoperable”. The crew of Riesco was also warned before the vessel was struck and sank.
Iran responded on 9 September with an attack on Hercules Star, which resulted in the death of one crew member. Another crew member was injured, while a third remained missing. A separate attack targeted tanker New Andros, although no injuries were reported in that incident.
The risks facing commercial shipping have also extended beyond the immediate waters of the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
On 10 September, cargo ship Glamor was approached by an unauthorised vessel and subsequently boarded by unauthorised personnel. The crew withdrew to the ship’s citadel, preventing the intruders from taking control of the vessel.
The unauthorised personnel later departed the ship.
JMIC currently assesses the threat to commercial shipping as severe in the Strait of Hormuz, substantial in the Gulf of Aden and Bab-el Mandeb/Southern Red Sea, and moderate in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
The latest incidents underline the increasingly complex security environment facing merchant shipping across the wider Middle East, with vessels exposed to risks well beyond a single maritime chokepoint.
