An explosion believed to have been caused by a missile attack on an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf left one seafarer dead, the vessel’s operating company said on Friday.
Greek management firm Velos Tankers said the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Velos Sapphire was sailing towards Bahrain when it was attacked.
“The company is greatly saddened to report the death of one of its seafarers, who was found fatally injured on board after having initially been reported missing in the aftermath of the explosion,” the firm said.
The explosion caused a fire to break out in the ship. The crew were able to extinguish the fire without reporting any other injured.
Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port ultimately took in the ship and now a investigation into the incident will be launched to assess the extent of the damage to the vessel’s hull.
Iran using ‘everything it can’ to stop oil flows
The incident is the latest in a string of attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf by Iran.
US newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited regional officials, security firms and analysts in a report detailing how Iran is using everything it can to stop the flow of oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the report, Tehran has launched bomb-laden undersea drones, fired rocket-propelled grenades and deployed crews to attach limpet mines to ships over recent weeks.
According to data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO), October saw the highest monthly number of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, with more than 35 incidents.
At least five vessels have been attacked so far in November, UKMTO added.
The increasing attacks coincides with signs of recovery in shipping through Hormuz. US Central Command said last month it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil via Hormuz since the summer.
On Thursday, Iranian media reported that five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Friday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two more oil tankers were on fire in the strait, state media reported.
Iran destroys missile over Qeshm island
Meanwhile, Iranian media said on Friday that Iranian air defenses had destroyed a US MQ-1 drone over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States did not confirm the incident.
It all comes in the wake of the US launching strikes on Qeshm Island on Tuesday, with Iranian state media reporting five explosions in rapid succession.
A statement attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that the Middle East war would widen if the US resumes its attacks.
Khamenei has rejected the notion that Washington will change course after midterm elections dealt a blow to President Donald Trump.
