Tanker reports nearby explosion near Strait of Hormuz: UKMTO
London, Aug 3
A tanker reported hearing an explosion in close proximity to the vessel near the eastern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, though both the vessel and its crew were reported safe, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
According to a UKMTO advisory on Sunday, the agency received the report from the vessel's master at 20:37 GMT on Sunday. The master said the explosion was heard while the vessel was about 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman.
The UKMTO advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity to the agency.
As tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated again, the UKMTO has reported a series of maritime security incidents in recent days, most of them occurring off Oman's coast near the Strait of Hormuz, reports Xinhua news agency.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday (Washington time) that negotiations with Iran will begin Monday afternoon, noting that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar had asked the United States to call off planned strikes because "they think there's a deal."
"There's a deal on (the Strait of) Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear, or you might call it the denuclearisation of Iran," Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews.
Claiming that Iran had also asked the United States to pull back the planned strikes, Trump said that "now what we're doing is we're talking to them in the form of a negotiation."
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud spoke on the phone with Trump on Saturday and "expressed concern and asked for clarity" about the proposed plan of action against Iran, a US official told news outlet Axios.
Pakistan, Qatar, the UAE, Türkiye and other countries have also called on the United States and Iran to de-escalate tensions and avoid further conflict.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Every time there's tension in the Gulf, we in India feel it immediately. Our diaspora there, our oil imports, our trade routes... all at risk. The fact that a tanker heard an explosion is deeply concerning. Why can't the world powers sit down and resolve this without sabre-rattling? 😔
Uncle Sam and Iran playing chicken again. Meanwhile, countries like India, Pakistan, and Gulf nations are caught in the crossfire. Good to see Saudi, UAE, and Qatar pushing for de-escalation—they know the real cost of conflict. India should also use its diplomatic channels to urge restraint from both sides.
The UKMTO reports these incidents but no one is taking responsibility. It's like a game of blame between the US and Iran, and ordinary sailors and tanker crews are the ones at risk. As someone whose cousin works on a merchant ship in that region, this news keeps me worried every single day. 🙏
Trump saying "there's a deal" while ships are hearing explosions nearby—this is classic chaos marketing. India should be preparing for oil supply diversification urgently. Relying so heavily on one chokepoint is a strategic vulnerability we've ignored for too long. Time to invest in more strategic reserves and alternative pipelines.
Every day this tension continues, our petrol and diesel prices fluctuate. The common Indian family is bearing the brunt of decisions made in Washington and Tehran. I wish India would take a stronger stand as a mediator—we have good relations with both sides, and we should use that leverage. 🙏