A ship was hijacked off the coast of the UAE

The commercial vessel was hijacked by unknown assailants off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and is now headed for Iranian waters, Bloomberg reported citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO).

The exact vessel in question has not yet been identified. It was anchored off the coast of Fujairah, according to the UKMTO, which coordinates military and commercial shipping in the region.

The incident occurred amid an increase in the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, notes Bloomberg. A few days ago, Iran presented an updated procedure for the passage of ships through this water corridor. Previously, about 20% of the world's oil exports passed through the strait. But after the beginning of the US-Israeli war against Iran, transit has been sharply reduced. Some ships have come under fire while trying to cross the strait.

The previous incident of hijacking a commercial vessel in the region occurred on May 8, with Iran claiming the seizure of the Ocean Koi tanker, which was carrying Iranian oil, in the Gulf of Oman. In February, the U.S. imposed sanctions against the tanker with that name, saying it was part of Iran's "shadow fleet." According to the shipping database, the tanker is managed by a Chinese company, Bloomberg wrote.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor