Key facts
- An LPG tanker was hit by debris from unknown projectiles while transiting outbound of the Strait of Hormuz.
- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported the incident on Monday.
- All crew on the tanker were reported safe.
- The tanker continued its journey to its next port of call.
- Twelve commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, down from 35 the previous weekend.
- Seven vessels transited on Sunday, including three Iranian-linked oil products tankers.
An LPG tanker transiting outbound of the Strait of Hormuz was struck by debris from unknown projectiles, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday. The UKMTO stated that the tanker would continue to its next port of call and that all crew were reported safe.
This incident occurred after a significant drop in traffic through the vital waterway over the weekend. A total of 12 commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, a substantial decrease from the 35 vessels that passed through during the preceding weekend, according to shipping data. Provisional data from analytics firm Kpler indicated that seven vessels transited on Sunday, including three Iranian-linked oil products tankers exiting the waterway, while three vessels reportedly passed through on Saturday.
Before the recent escalation in tensions, the strait typically handled about 125 large, commercial vessels per day. JP Morgan noted that tanker traffic is improving, particularly in Saudi Arabia, with the country exporting crude at a rate of 2.9 million barrels daily via Hormuz. However, Saudi oil flows from the Red Sea port of Yanbu have been compromised by recent strikes by Yemen's Houthi group.