Second Commercial Vessel Hit by Projectile in Persian Gulf in Three Days

· Shipping · United Arab Emirates

A commercial vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the Persian Gulf on Friday, sparking a fire onboard, in the second reported attack on shipping inside the Gulf in just three days. UKMTO, the British navy-affiliated agency, said the vessel was hit 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera in the United Arab Emirates, causing a fire that has since been extinguished; it cited multiple sources and did not identify the ship or its flag. The strikes extend a pattern of maritime attacks that this week spread across the Black Sea and the Middle East, increasing both in number and geographical scope, and come amid heightened risk for tanker traffic transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Shipowners and charterers face renewed pressure on war-risk insurance, routing and crew safety as attacks move west of the strait into Gulf waters.

Why it matters：Repeated strikes inside the Gulf push war-risk premiums and routing decisions for tankers and boxships, and test whether naval escorts can keep a key energy chokepoint open.

Key points

  • UKMTO said the vessel was hit 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera in the UAE.
  • The fire onboard was extinguished, and no casualty details were given.
  • The UKMTO statement cited multiple sources and did not name the vessel.

Sources (original reporting)

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