Tanker Damaged by Explosive Devices Near Oman

A tanker was damaged by two explosive devices attached to its hull near Khasab, Oman, on October 29, causing an engine-room fire and temporarily disabling the vessel, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. The crew were safe, the fire was extinguished and the ship continued toward its next port, the agency reported. UKMTO said the outbound tanker was about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab in the Strait of Hormuz when a small boat approached and attached the devices above the waterline. The blasts caused the fire. There was no reported environmental impact, according to the agency’s update. Maritime-security assessments identified the tanker as Louise 1 and the explosives as limpet mines. UKMTO did not name the vessel, and responsibility for the attack has not been established. Martin Kelly of EOS Risk Group also identified the ship as Louise 1 and described the attack as part of Iran’s campaign against commercial shipping; that characterization is his assessment, not an attribution confirmed by UKMTO. The use of hull-attached explosives adds to the security risks facing vessels transiting the waterway. A maritime-risk management group said a small...