A tanker is hit on its way to Hormuz, and no one has yet said what struck it
A tanker sailing east through the Arabian Gulf was attacked on Sunday before it reached the Strait of Hormuz, the UK military's maritime security centre says. Its crew are accounted for and safe, but the damage to the ship and any spill are not yet known. The attack is the latest in a war at sea that has cut traffic through the world's most important oil chokepoint by about two-thirds.
Live updates
- 9.05pm AWSTLatest
The tanker has not been named and no group has claimed the attack. UKMTO says damage and any environmental impact are still unknown.
- About 8.55pm AWST
UKMTO says it is aware of a report, received by Indian shipping authorities, of an attack on a tanker sailing east in the Arabian Gulf before the Strait of Hormuz. The crew are safe.
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Three things to know
- UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it is aware of a report, made to Indian shipping authorities, that a tanker was attacked while heading for Hormuz. The crew are safe.
- The ship has not been named, no one has said what hit it, and no one has claimed the attack.
- UKMTO has logged 163 conflict-related incidents in the region since 28 February, including at least seven tankers attacked in a single week this month.
A tanker has been attacked in the Arabian Gulf as it sailed east towards the Strait of Hormuz, UK Maritime Trade Operations said on Sunday.
In a warning posted on X, UKMTO said it was aware of a report of the attack received by Indian shipping authorities. The crew are accounted for and safe, it said, but the extent of the damage and any environmental impact remain unknown. It urged ships in the area to transit with caution and report anything suspicious.
The vessel’s name, flag and position have not been released, and there has been no claim of responsibility. The report emerged on Sunday evening, India time, a little before 9pm AWST.
Who is attacking ships in the Gulf?
Often no one says. Since the war between Iran and the US began in February, Tehran has insisted that ships get its permission to cross the strait, and its Revolutionary Guards have reported tankers hitting mines after taking routes it had not approved. Ships have also been struck by missiles, drones and explosive-laden unmanned boats. The US, which has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, says it has cleared the main routes of mines and has disabled at least one vessel that tried to break the blockade.
How bad has it got?
In the week to 11 November alone, UKMTO says at least seven tankers were attacked in and around the strait; in one strike several crew were injured, and in another a tanker’s engine room was hit off Ras al-Khaimah and the crew had to be evacuated. Traffic through Hormuz is running about 65 per cent below pre-war levels, and UKMTO rates the threat there as severe. The UN says 25 seafarers have died around the strait since February.
Why does it matter here?
About a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes through Hormuz. Australia imports most of its petrol and diesel from refineries in Asia that run largely on Gulf crude, so every ship that is hit, delayed or turned around adds to the pressure on prices at the bowser.
The attack came on the same day Iran sent drones at a US radar in Bahrain and Houthi missiles were fired at Riyadh, a weekend that tests US President Donald Trump’s statement that he might hold off on new strikes on Iran if there were no fresh provocations.
VNN will update this story as more is confirmed.
How we got here
The key moments that brought this story into focus. Open any moment for detail.
28 February 2026War begins
US and Israeli strikes on Iran start a regional war; Iran demands ships seek its permission to cross Hormuz.
November 2026Week of attacks
UKMTO records at least seven tankers attacked around the strait in the week to 11 November.
14 November 2026Mines claimed
Iran's forces say three tankers hit mines in and near the strait after using unapproved routes.
15 November 2026Tanker attacked
A tanker heading east towards Hormuz is attacked in the Arabian Gulf; the crew are safe.
What happens next
Watch for the ship's name and owner, a damage assessment, and any claim of responsibility. UKMTO's next weekly overview will show whether attacks are rising again. Trump is due in Manila for the ASEAN summit on Tuesday, then meets Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen on 19 November.
Sources
- VNN
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