A fragile ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz has completely broken down as fresh attacks between the US and Iran over the past 24 hours have coincided with tanker strikes off Oman that has left three seafarers missing.
The product tanker Settebello suffered a fire onboard around 20 nautical miles off Sohar, Oman yesterday. Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said the 47,198 dwt vessel transmitted a distress call reporting it had been struck by a missile. Three seafarers were reported missing and one seriously injured.
The US military separately confirmed striking the Settebello, stating that American aircraft fired precision munitions into the vessel’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US forces enforcing a blockade against Iran.
The Settebello is the eighth vessel disabled by US forces since mid-April, according to US Central Command.
The latest attack follows a similar incident involving the tanker Marivex on June 8, when US forces fired into the vessel’s engine room, causing a fire. Twenty-four Indian seafarers were subsequently rescued by the Omani Navy.
Reports emerged this morning of another tanker, Jalveer, issuing a distress call after a fire broke out onboard while anchored in the Shinas offshore waiting area in Oman.
According to maritime security specialist Vanguard, the fire reportedly affected the vessel’s engine room and funnel. The tanker has 20 crew members onboard, with evacuation operations reportedly under way with assistance from Omani authorities. There has been no official confirmation of the cause of the fire.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) condemned the attack by the US.
IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said: “I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping. This is simply unacceptable.”
According to the IMO, 43 attacks on international shipping have been verified in and around the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, resulting in 11 confirmed seafarer deaths.
Danish shipping analyst Lars Jensen, who has been providing daily updates on the Hormuz crisis via LinkedIn, reported today”the ceasefire in the Hormuz crisis has fully broken down”, with US strikes targeting roughly a dozen locations in Iran, including sites near Tehran, while Iran launched attacks against locations in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.
Iran also claimed to have struck two tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, although Jensen noted he had not seen independent verification of those reports.
