MASKED men in military uniforms have stormed an oil tanker off the coasts of Iran and Oman.
Iran was immediately suspected as the vessel was earlier involved in a dispute with the US Justice Department, resulting in the seizure of a million barrels of Iranian crude oil.
Getty”Armed unauthorised persons’ have boarded an oil tanker near Oman[/caption]
The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday some 50 miles off the coast of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
UKMTO, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, said the vessel was stormed by a group of four or five people.
The armed intruders were reported to be wearing military style black uniforms and black masks.
UKTMO also reported hearing “unknown voices over the phone” alongside the ship’s captain after getting a report from the ship’s security manager, Sky News reports.
The United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet did not immediately respond to a request for comment or further information.
It said it was unable to make further contact with the vessel and that the authorities were investigating the incident.
Yemen‘s Iran-backed Houthis have since October attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea to show support for Hamas terrorists battling the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
The Houthis attacks have been concentrated on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, to the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula, while Thursday’s incident is located closer to the Strait of Hormuz.
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