A vessel was boarded by unauthorised personnel on Thursday (May 14, 2026) while at anchor northeast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) port of Fujairah and was heading towards Iranian territorial waters, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
Ship anchored off east coast of UAE seized, heading toward Iranian waters
Two maritime security sources said the ship was believed to be the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan fishery research vessel.
At least two other vessels have been seized by Iran during the war that began when U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on (February 28, 2026).
The incident happened 38 nautical miles (70 km) northeast of Fujairah, British navy agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, citing a report received from the vessel’s security officer.
