According to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports, two separate maritime incidents occurred off the coast of Oman's Musandam Governorate, south of the Strait of Hormuz, on the night of July 31 and the morning of August 1.
First Incident: No Damage
The first incident was recorded at 22:06 GMT (01:06 Mecca time), 21 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, in Oman's Musandam Governorate. A tanker captain reported seeing a large splash and explosion near the vessel, but no damage occurred. UKMTO did not disclose the tanker's name or the nature of the falling object.
Second Incident: Tanker Left Without Steering
One hour and 24 minutes later, at 23:30 GMT, a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles northeast of Lima. The projectile damaged the engine room, leaving the tanker 'without steering'. No casualties or pollution were reported, and the local coast guard was alerted.
GasLog Shanghai's Route
Meanwhile, open-source maritime tracking data revealed the route of the Bermuda-flagged LNG tanker 'GasLog Shanghai'. The tanker had departed Qatar's Ras Laffan Port partially loaded on July 28. It sent its last signal at 01:02 GMT on July 31 (04:02 Doha time) before ceasing data transmission. The tanker's operator, GasLog, confirmed that an incident occurred while exiting the Strait of Hormuz on July 31, stating that the crew was safe and an emergency response plan had been activated, but gave no details on the nature of the incident or damage.
Statement from Iran
Hours before these incidents, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on July 31 that two 'violating' tankers under US air escort were struck while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The statement said four other tankers changed course and turned back. The Revolutionary Guards warned that US interventions in the region 'will not go unanswered'. However, Iran did not share the names, locations, or times of the struck tankers, making it difficult to establish a direct link to the two incidents in question.
Old Footage Circulates
Meanwhile, footage of a burning tanker broadcast on Iranian television around the same time turned out to be of the oil product tanker 'Cavomalias', which had suffered a similar attack on July 20.
Escalating Tensions
These developments came amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, with Oman-mediated indirect negotiations at an impasse. Iran warned that bases that could be used by US forces might be targeted, while Washington urged its citizens in the region to be prepared for possible travel disruptions.
