The UK Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO) stated that on Thursday, a ship anchored in the northeast of the Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates was boarded by unauthorized personnel and is currently heading towards Iranian waters.
According to two maritime security sources who spoke to Reuters, the ship is believed to be the “Hui Chuan,” a fishing research vessel flying the flag of Honduras.
Since the “Epic Wrath” operation launched against Iran by the United States and Israel on February 28, Iran has detained at least three ships.
The UK Maritime Risk Management Group Vanguard reported that the incident occurred 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Fujairah, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Vanguard stated: “Company security officers reported that the crew was taken away by Iranian personnel while the ship was anchored.” The organization added, “It is reported that the ship is heading towards Iranian waters.” Communication has been disrupted, and the ship is no longer transmitting its position through the Automatic Identification System (AIS).
Shipping databases show that the ship is operated by SG Navigation, headquartered in the Marshall Islands. According to the vessel tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform, the ship was last seen on May 12 in the Gulf of Oman, which coincidentally falls within Iran’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Note: An Exclusive Economic Zone extends up to 24 nautical miles (38 kilometers) from a country’s coastline.
Fujairah is a vital oil export terminal and one of the primary ports of the United Arab Emirates outside the Persian Gulf. During the Iran-Iraq war, the area was repeatedly attacked.
Indian authorities announced on Thursday that the Indian-flagged cargo ship “Haji Ali,” en route from Somalia to another UAE port, Sharjah, caught fire due to an attack and subsequently sank near the coast of Oman on Wednesday. The Indian side did not specify the identity of the attackers.
India stated that all 14 Indian crew members were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard and are all safe.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs later condemned such attacks on commercial shipping as “unacceptable.”