What maritime authorities say happened

An unnamed tanker was temporarily disabled after a small craft attached two explosive devices to its hull near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and reporting by Reuters.

UKMTO placed the incident about 25 nautical miles north-east of Khasab, Oman. The devices detonated above the waterline and caused a fire in the engine room, the agency said. The crew were safe, the fire was extinguished and the vessel continued towards its next port, with no environmental impact reported. UKMTO did not identify the ship or say who was responsible. Reuters, citing maritime sources, described the devices as limpet mines.

The incident was reported on Friday after occurring on Thursday. Oman’s Maritime Security Centre also reported evacuating crew from a Panama-flagged tanker that caught fire near Musandam. The Associated Press said it was not clear whether that vessel was involved in the same incident.

Separate claims, uncertain connection

Iranian state media reported that the Revolutionary Guard had said three oil tankers caught fire after using routes Tehran considers unauthorized. The Guard said one supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil struck a naval mine. The AP said it could not independently verify Iran’s account; it also remains unclear whether those reports describe the vessel UKMTO identified.

That distinction matters in a waterway central to global energy shipping. UKMTO confirmed an attack and its effects, but made no attribution. Iran’s broader claims remain claims, not independently established findings. The U.S. military has disputed Iranian statements about mines in the strait, according to the AP. The identity of the tanker and responsibility for the attack remain unanswered.