British Authority Reports Incident Involving Commercial Ship and Military Forces Near Oman

The British Maritime Trade Operations announced on Saturday that it received a report concerning an incident involving a commercial ship and military forces about 100 nautical miles east of Duqm in the Sultanate of Oman.

The British authority stated, "We received a report of an incident involving a commercial vessel and military forces approximately 100 nautical miles east of Duqm in Oman."

It further indicated that "the reports suggest the tanker was involved in a contact incident amid ongoing military activity in the area."

On Friday, the British authority reported that a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while sailing roughly 19 nautical miles east of Khasab in Oman, according to Reuters, which confirmed the crew's safety and noted no environmental impact.

The renewed escalation of hostilities between the United States and Iran has nearly halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical oil and gas shipping route, causing a rise in global energy prices.

On Saturday, the navigation data site "Kpler" reported a cessation of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, confirming that no oil tankers had departed the strategic waterway for the second consecutive day.

Shipping data revealed that only three vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the lowest daily count since May, with most ships either stopping or returning after recent attacks by Tehran on vessels and the United States resuming a naval blockade on Iran-linked shipping.

The site stated in a post on the platform "X" on Friday that by July 16, confirmed ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz had sharply declined to only eight vessels, marking the lowest level recorded in three weeks.

It also noted that seven of the eight vessels took the Iranian route, indicating navigation concentrated in more hazardous channels due to operators reassessing security conditions, crew safety, and increased insurance risks. Activity was evenly split between low-risk ships and those subject to sanctions, with no shadow fleet vessels observed transiting.