The hijackers who seized a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman left the targeted ship on Wednesday, the British navy reported, without elaborating.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that the incident, which it had described as a “potential hijack” the night before, was now “complete.” It did not provide further details.
“The vessel is safe,” the group said, without identifying the ship. Shipping authority Lloyd’s List and maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global had both identified the hijacked vessel 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.
DUBAI: The British navy warned on Tuesday of a potential hijack of a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman, without elaborating.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West over its tattered nuclear deal and as commercial shipping in the region has found itself in the crosshairs over it. Most recently, the US, the UK and Israel have blamed Iran for a drone attack on an oil tanker off Oman that killed two people. Iran has denied being involved.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially warned ships on Tuesday that an “incident is currently underway” off the coast of Fujairah. Hours later, they said the incident was a potential hijack. They did not elaborate.
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Illustrative: This photo released on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 by the Iranian Army, shows an Iranian Navy warship during a navy military drill in the Gulf of Oman. (Iranian Army via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Iranian-backed forces have taken control of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, reports said late Tuesday, in an incident British authorities described as “a potential hijack.”
The report came after 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. It wasn’t immediately clear what was happening off the coast of Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman.