DUBAI: A ship off the UAE coast near the Strait of Hormuz has been taken by unknown people and is now headed toward Iranian waters, a UK maritime agency said on Thursday.
The vessel was “taken by unauthorized personnel whilst at anchor” 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Fujairah, and “is now bound for Iranian territorial waters,” according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.
Several ships have been attacked in or near the key waterway as Iran and the United States push on with rival blockades.
Iran has largely blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — which normally carries one fifth of the world’s oil and LNG shipments — since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28.
The United States has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports despite a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8.
