Vessel hit by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz, crew casualty reported

LONDON — A ‌vessel was ⁠struck ​by an ⁠unknown projectile while transiting through the ‌Strait ‌of ​Hormuz, according to a report received by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on ‌Tuesday.​”The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz. The impact caused damage to the engine room and resulted in a crew casualty,” UKMTO said in a statement.The remaining crew members are being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, it said.No environmental impact has been reported, while authorities are investigating the incident, it added.UKMTO advised vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.The Strait of Hormuz has seen escalating tensions amid the US-Iran war, raising fears of disruptions to shipping and global energy supplies despite diplomatic efforts to consolidate understandings on freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway.Ship ‌crossings via the Strait of Hormuz were still in single digits on ​Monday, despite rising slightly from the weekend, according to preliminary shipping data on Tuesday, amid a stalemate in US and Iranian peace talks.Six commodity ships transited the strait on Monday, of ‌which three were exiting ‌the Gulf ​and ‌three ⁠were ​entering, Kpler shiptracking ⁠data showed, compared with the 10-day average of 11 ships. Three ships transited on Saturday while two moved through the waterway on Sunday.There were no very ⁠large crude carriers or tankers ‌carrying liquefied ‌natural gas passing through.Some ​vessels could be ‌passing through the strait ‌with their transponders switched off and they are not considered in the tally.The very large gas carrier (VLGC) Xavia entered ‌the strait via the Iranian route under ballast, meaning empty ⁠of ⁠a cargo, according to the data. VLGCs are typically used to ship liquefied petroleum gases such as propane and butane.A medium-range fuel tanker and an intermediate-range tanker also entered the Gulf, the data showed, while a medium-sized LPG carrier, a Panamax bulk ​carrier and ​a Panamax-sized fuel tanker exited the Gulf.