The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet is assisting two tankers in the Gulf of Oman following distress calls from the vessels and warnings from a United Kingdom maritime safety group that an unspecified incident had taken place in the area.
The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by the British navy, put out the alert early on Thursday. It did not elaborate further but said it was investigating the incident and urged “extreme caution” amid heightened United States-Iran tensions.
The Reuters news agency, citing four shipping and trade sources, reported two tankers were evacuated following an unspecified incident. The ships’ crews were unharmed, according to Reuters.
The sources identified the tankers as the Marshal Islands-flagged Front Altair and the Panama-flagged Kokuka Courageous.
Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm said it was investigating reports the Front Altair was “on fire and adrift”. It did not offer a cause for the incident.
#Incident Reports of vessel MT Front Altair being on fire & adrift at position 2527N 05722E are being investigated. No cause has been positively confirmed. Latest information will be communicated when available. Contact our team via https://t.co/Qv7PyCfXM3 #Fujairah #UAE #attack pic.twitter.com/0Z4aIBzE5M
— Dryad Global (@GlobalDryad) June 13, 2019
Iranian media reported, without offering any evidence, that there had been an explosion in the area targeting oil tankers.
Thursday’s maritime alert came after attacks last month on oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Iran was likely behind the May 12 incidents, without offering evidence.
The UAE, meanwhile, claimed the preliminary findings of a probe into the attacks revealed they were part of a “coordinated” operation likely carried out by a state actor, but stopped short of pinning the blame on any specific country.
Iran has denied being involved in the incidents.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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