On 7th April, a bulk carrier was hit by two projectiles in the Arabian Sea, 112 nautical miles east of Oman. The news only came out today. The projectiles reportedly caused a fire on board, which was quickly brought under control with the help of a Pakistan Navy vessel.
The incident, confirmed by the UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations) agency, highlights the increasing threats to shipping beyond the Strait of Hormuz against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions linked to the recent US blockade in the Arabian Sea.
Meanwhile, the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) has stated that no vessels have managed to breach the naval blockade against ships bound for or coming from Iranian ports, adding that it has forced six vessels to turn back.
However, data from the AIS (Automatic Identification System) shows that this claim is not entirely accurate. The featured photo, posted by Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, in one of his posts, shows the Iranian containership Kashan, which left Bandar Abbas yesterday and passed through the Strait of Hormuz without being stopped.
There are other examples as well. According to Lars Jensen, the US blockade is only being partially enforced at the moment: “We continue to see the usual trickle of vessels transiting the Iranian corridor by Larak Island.”
Translation by Giles Foster
