UK Navy warns of potential hijack to a ship off UAE shores
A ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates “may have been hijacked,” according to the United Kingdom’s Maritime Security Agency (UKMTO).
Ships passing the region should take “great care,” according to the British Naval Agency.
The ship in issue was named Asphalt Princess and was flying the Panamanian flag, according to analysts at Dryad Global, a marine security firm.
The specialist website “Marine Traffic” reported that it was on its way to the port of Sohar in the Sultanate of Oman, which borders the UAE and is separated from Iran by the Strait of Hormuz.
This event, which occurred approximately sixty nautical miles from Fujairah, came five days after an attack on an oil ship in the Sea of Oman, which killed two people and was blamed on Iran by many Western nations, including the US.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki stated, “The first information causes considerable concern,” without commenting on the nature of what happened, in response to what the British Maritime Security Agency revealed about the ship’s disaster.
“We’re keeping a careful eye on the issue and keeping in touch with London and other partners,” He continued.
Ned Price, a spokesperson for the US State Department, said: “Iran has engaged in aggressive activity that is extremely concerning, particularly in the maritime realm. It is far too early to explain this occurrence.”
The ship was going to Iran under the watchful eye of armed guards, according to the website of the British “Lloyd’s List” magazine, which is regarded as a reference in nautical statistics.
The Revolutionary Guards denied the involvement of Iranian forces or their allies in an incident against any ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, according to Iranian official media, which added that this was a pretext for a “hostile act” against Tehran.