DUBAI: British maritime safety agency Vanguard Tech mentioned Tuesday (Feb 3) {that a} US-flagged tanker was approached and challenged by Iranian gunboats within the Strait of Hormuz, earlier than persevering with on its approach.
The Stena Crucial was approached by three pairs of small armed boats belonging to the Revolutionary Guards whereas transiting the strait roughly 16 nautical miles (30 kilometres) north of Oman, the corporate mentioned.
The gunboats hailed it by radio, ordering the captain “to cease the engines and put together to be boarded”, however the ship elevated pace and maintained course, the agency added, stressing it didn’t enter Iranian territorial waters.
“The vessel is now being escorted by a US warship,” Vanguard Tech mentioned.
Earlier, the British maritime safety company UKMTO reported the incident with out specifying the nationality of the ship or the boats that approached it.
