The official report states that the incident occurred 8 nautical miles east of Limah, Oman. The vessel was sailing southbound when its port side was hit by an unidentified projectile, after which a fire broke out on board. As of the time of the advisory, no casualties had been reported, and no marine pollution damage had been caused. The competent authorities in Oman have launched a formal investigation into the incident.

Source: VesselFinder

UKMTO has also issued a navigation warning to all merchant vessels transiting the area, urging ships to maintain a high level of vigilance, strengthen lookout watches during transit, and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO immediately.

Based on cross-checks of open-source maritime intelligence and vessel-tracking information, the vessel involved in the incident has been identified as the LNG carrier AL REKAYYAT, owned by Qatari shipowner Nakilat Shipping. The vessel was built and delivered in June 2009. She has an overall length of 315.2 metres, a beam of 50.0 metres, a deadweight of 113,857 DWT, a gross tonnage of 136,168 GT, a total cargo tank capacity of 211,986 cubic metres, and a design draught of 13.0 metres.

Public vessel-tracking data shows that AL REKAYYAT had switched off her automatic identification system (AIS) for 18 consecutive days before the incident. The last publicly traceable track record indicates that the vessel had previously turned back before entering the Gulf of Oman.

At the time of the incident, the vessel was sailing along the southern transit corridor off the coast of Oman. This route was promoted under US leadership as an alternative passage to the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of avoiding Iranian control over waters in and around the strait. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran had previously issued multiple official navigation warnings, requiring all transiting vessels to follow routes approved by Iran and clearly warning that deviation from designated lanes could involve security risks.

Second Merchant Vessel Attacked After Ceasefire Agreement

This attack on an LNG carrier has once again raised the maritime security threat level around the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, further exposing the vulnerability of key energy transportation routes in the Middle East.

Xinde Marine News will continue to monitor the investigation and regional security developments. Shipping companies, ship managers and vessels transiting the area are advised to conduct risk assessments in advance, prepare appropriate security measures, and strictly follow relevant navigation safety guidance.