3rd maritime incident reported off Oman involving merchant tanker, military forces: UKMTO

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Friday it received a report of a maritime incident involving a merchant vessel and military forces off Oman, marking the third such incident in the region in one day.

UKMTO said the incident occurred about 100 nautical miles east of Duqm.

The agency said the tanker was involved in an interaction as part of ongoing military activity in the region. No further details were immediately available.

Earlier Friday, UKMTO reported that a commercial vessel was boarded by "unauthorized personnel" while transiting the Gulf of Aden, about 65 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen.

The agency said military authorities were responding to the incident, which occurred as the vessel was sailing eastbound through the Gulf of Aden.

In a separate incident, an unidentified projectile struck a tanker about 19 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman, causing minor structural damage to the vessel's port side, according to UKMTO.

The incidents come amid heightened regional tensions following renewed exchanges between Iran and the US despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed last month aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

In recent days, tensions have escalated around the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran and the US exchanging attacks.