Inbound Tanker Struck in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Restricts Travel to Taif and Yanbu
Credit: Map credits: Open Street Map, Modified Copernicus Sentinel data.
MIDDLE EAST — On September 21, a tanker on an inbound transit through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile. Two crew members received minor injuries, after which the ship continued to its next port under its own power.
No environmental impact has been reported, and authorities are investigating the incident, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The vessel’s name, flag, and exact strike time have not been released. Military authorities passed the account to a maritime reporting center, which did not name a perpetrator.
US Mission To Saudi Arabia: Government Employees To The Kingdom Now Need Special Authorization For Travel
On September 20, the U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia said U.S. government employees in the kingdom now need special authorization for official and personal travel to Taif and Yanbu.
The same day, U.S. Central Command said that as of that date its forces had redirected 109 commercial vessels to enforce compliance with the U.S. maritime blockade on traffic to and from Iranian ports, a blockade the command says resumed on July 14.
In a separate series of events inside the same waterway, the Joint Maritime Information Center listed three earlier Hormuz attacks in Update 098, covering March 1 through September 20.
That statement set the regional maritime threat level at SEVERE. One named ship in that list, the tanker MT Trend, was later claimed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
What Happened
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September 21: An inbound tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile. Two crew received minor injuries. The vessel continued under its own power, with no environmental impact reported (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Warning 140-26).
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September 20: U.S. Central Command said that as of that date its forces had redirected 109 commercial vessels to enforce compliance with the blockade on traffic to and from Iranian ports.
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September 20: The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia required special authorization for U.S. government employees traveling to Taif and Yanbu.
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September 18: A tanker outbound through the strait was hit by an unknown projectile at 12:40 AM UTC. The hull was breached and a fire was extinguished. All crew were reported safe (Warning 138-26, recorded in Joint Maritime Information Center Update 098).
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September 17: MT Trend was involved in a security incident in Omani territorial waters about 2.6 nautical miles (3.0 miles, 4.8 kilometers) northeast of Ras Makhbuq and later anchored at 26.4267, 56.4000. U.S. Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping confirmed the incident. All crew were safe (Warning 137-26).
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September 16 (time unconfirmed, reported September 18): A tanker outbound through the strait was struck by an unidentified projectile. Communications with the ship and its company security officer could not be established. Crew status, damage, and environmental impact remained unconfirmed. The vessel was described as continuing transit (Warning 139-26).
Locations Affected
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Strait of Hormuz (approximate waterway center 26.57, 56.25), the choke-point between Iran and Oman through which peacetime oil traffic once ran: inbound tanker struck September 21; three earlier tanker incidents September 16-18.
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Ras Makhbuq, Oman, anchorage 26.4267, 56.4000: MT Trend after the September 17 security incident.
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Taif, Saudi Arabia (21.27, 40.42) and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (24.09, 38.06): U.S. government employee travel now requires special authorization.
Official Statements
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United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, Warning 140-26, September 21: “Military authorities have informed UKMTO that a tanker conducting an inbound transit was struck by an unknown projectile. Two crew have sustained minor injuries and the vessel is reported to be continuing to its next port of call under its own power. There is no reported environmental impact at this time.”
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U.S. Central Command, September 20: “A U.S. Sailor stands watch aboard USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53). As of Sept. 20, CENTCOM forces have redirected 109 commercial vessels to ensure total compliance.”
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U.S. Mission Saudi Arabia, September 20: “Due to the ongoing security situation in Saudi Arabia, U.S. government employees who work in Saudi Arabia now require special authorization for all official and personal travel to the cities of Taif and Yanbu.”
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Joint Maritime Information Center Update 098, information cutoff 3:00 PM UTC September 20: “Due to recent Iranian attacks, the threat level remains SEVERE, with deliberate hostile action considered as highly likely under current conditions.”
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IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei, remarks published by Iranian state-run Tasnim, September 18: “Last night, the offending tanker Trend, flying the flag of Togo, attempted to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz at the instigation and deception of the child-killing US military. It was hit and stopped after a fire broke out on it.”
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International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, September 16: “We are reaching a point where these conflicts are being used as a pretext to attack merchant vessels and innocent seafarers. Do not use these conflicts to attack innocent seafarers.”
