A vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to growing maritime security concerns around the strategic waterway amid the wider Middle East war.
UKMTO said it had received a report of a projectile hitting the vessel as it was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The extent of the damage and the condition of the crew were not immediately known. No party had claimed responsibility for the incident at the time of the report.
The incident came a day after Saudi Arabia temporarily closed its East-West oil pipeline as a precaution following a drone attack. Baghdad and Riyadh said the attack originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate.
The latest maritime incident adds to pressure on regional energy routes at a time when disruptions across the Gulf are already affecting oil and gas flows. Brent crude prices rose back above $100 a barrel during the past week, reflecting heightened concerns over energy supply security.
The 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline, which runs across the Arabian Peninsula, has served as a major alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the past six months, while the Strait of Hormuz has remained largely closed because of the war.
The pipeline has been carrying between 4 million and 5 million barrels of oil per day, equivalent to around 4 to 5 percent of global supply, helping Saudi Arabia reduce the impact of disruptions affecting other Gulf oil and gas producers.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks on the pipeline. Satellite imagery showed black smoke rising from an area south of Medina, while the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the attack caused injuries and damage that was still being assessed, without providing details on its impact on oil exports.
Separately, Saudi Civil Defence said on Saturday that a projectile fired by the Houthis injured two people in the Jazan region and damaged several buildings, including a mosque.
The vessel incident, pipeline disruption and separate projectile attack underline the mounting security pressures facing shipping and energy infrastructure across the region, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a critical point for global energy supplies.
