A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was damaged when fighters in a speedboat attached explosives to its outside, igniting a fire in its engine room. The attack, the first of its kind in the current conflict, was reported Thursday by UK Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors shipping security. The organization said the number of people in the small boat was unspecified. No one was injured in the blast above the waterline, and although the fire temporarily disabled the vessel, it continued its journey.
Such weapons, known as limpet mines, are normally fixed around or under the waterline to maximize damage. Iran has used the tactic before, and in 2021 and 2024 it complained that its own vessels had been targeted by limpet mine attacks. In an earlier incident, a Liberia-flagged tanker off Iraq found a suspicious object on its hull that was confirmed as a limpet mine and removed by Iraqi security forces.
The current war has also involved sea mines and anti-ship missiles. A US official said earlier this week that no vessel had struck a floating mine while transiting the strait. US Central Command said Friday it had cleared a passage through the waterway, and it had earlier destroyed stockpiles of mines on shore. Tehran has instead targeted ships with missiles, with at least 28 reported strikes in October. CENTCOM says 95% of those vessels passed through without incident.
Small boats used for fishing or trading are common in the strait. UKMTO did not say whether the boat in Thursday's attack was military or civilian, though the US has said Iran's navy, including its submarines, has been almost entirely destroyed while at anchor.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing