Six Ships Near Iran in the Gulf of Oman Lose Control of Their Steering – Another British Ship May Have Been Hijacked
(AP Graphic)
What’s going on in the Gulf of Oman?
Reports out of Israel indicate that at least six ships have lost control and another British ship might be have been hijacked in or near the Gulf of Oman.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — At least six ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates broadcast warnings Tuesday that they had lost control of their steering under unclear circumstances as British authorities reported “a potential hijack” was underway in the area.
It wasn’t immediately clear what was happening off the coast of Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman.
According to the Reuters news agency, which quoted two security maritime sources, Iranian-backed forces were believed to have seized one of the tankers.
Shipping authority Lloyd’s List and maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global both identified the vessel involved as Panama-flagged asphalt tanker Asphalt Princess. The vessel’s owner, listed as Emirati free zone-based Glory International, could not immediately be reached for comment late Tuesday.
The six vessels announced around the same time via their Automatic Identification System trackers that they were “not under command,” according to MarineTraffic.com. That typically means a vessel has lost power and can no longer steer.
