Oil tanker hijacked in the Gulf of Oman

An oil tanker was hijacked in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. This was reported by several media outlets and indirectly confirmed British Organization for the Coordination of Merchant Shipping

The organization reported a “possible hijacking” of the vessel in the Gulf of Oman, 60 miles east of Fujairah port in the UAE.

By data Sky News, we are talking about the Asphalt Princess tanker, which sails under the flag of Panama. The TV station reported that eight or nine armed men boarded it and seized it. By data Reuters, Iranian-backed forces were involved in the takeover.

How clarifies The Associated Press, shortly before the hijacking of the vessel, reported “loss of control” by four to six oil tankers in the region. Such a signal indicates that the vessel is unable to maneuver due to exceptional circumstances. According to the agency, an Omani Air Force naval patrol aircraft circled over the area where the vessels were located for several hours.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry called the reports of the incident involving several tankers “suspicious.”

We will remind, last week, the United States, Britain and Israel accused Iran of attacking an oil tanker off the coast of Oman. Then it was said that the incident was committed on July 29 with the help of a drone. The attack killed two people – citizens of Romania and Great Britain. Iran denied any involvement in the incident.