Vessel catches fire near Omani side of Strait of Hormuz

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

A vessel caught fire in waters near the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz, with the cause of the fire not yet confirmed, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said late Sunday.

According to a UKMTO advisory, the incident was reported approximately 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. The agency said it received information from military authorities that a vessel was on fire.

The cause of the fire has not been verified at this time, and authorities are investigating the incident, the UKMTO said. Vessels were advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO.

A sailor provided Xinhua with an exclusive recording of maritime public radio communications in the early hours of Monday, which showed that the U.S. military made multiple radio calls to confirm the situation of the vessel involved but received no response.

Kumzar is located at the northern tip of Oman, near the southern entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.

Following a memorandum of understanding reached between the United States and Iran in June, two transit routes were established in the Strait of Hormuz, with a northern route controlled by Iran and a southern route close to Oman.

The U.S. military has provided navigation assistance in the southern route. Several commercial vessels have recently been attacked near the southern route, raising concerns over maritime security.