Ship Seized 38 Nautical Miles off UAE Heads for Iranian Waters as Hormuz Tensions Deepen
Updated
Updated · Euronews · May 14
Ship Seized 38 Nautical Miles off UAE Heads for Iranian Waters as Hormuz Tensions Deepen
16 articles · Updated · Euronews · May 14
UKMTO said unauthorized personnel took a ship at anchor 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah and the vessel is now bound for Iranian territorial waters.
The agency did not identify the ship or those behind the seizure, said it was investigating, and urged nearby vessels to report suspicious activity.
The incident adds to a string of seizures and attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, including Iran's capture last week of the sanctioned tanker Ocean Koi and drone or aircraft strikes reported by South Korea and Qatar.
Iranian officials defended detentions of what they called violating US-linked tankers as court-ordered and lawful, while Tehran has largely restricted shipping through the strait since the 28 February war despite an 8 April ceasefire.
Hormuz, only about 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest and carrying roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG shipments, is increasingly seen by analysts as a central lever in Iran's strategy.
Is Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz a more powerful economic weapon than its military?
Can expensive Western air defenses survive Iran's new strategy of overwhelming them with cheap drones?