October 30, 2026. Reporting checked at 08:10 UTC.
What happened
UKMTO logged two attacks on tankers leaving the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, both reported after our afternoon check. In the first, a company security officer reported that their tanker was "struck by an unknown projectile" while completing an outbound transit. UKMTO said no crew injuries or environmental impact had been reported at that time, and posted the record at 17:51 UTC.
Hours later, at 22:12 UTC, a third party reported an outbound vessel on fire 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. UKMTO later said a small boat approached the ship and attached two explosive devices to its hull, Reuters reports. The blasts started a fire in the tanker's engine room that temporarily disabled it. The fire is out, the crew are safe, and the tanker is continuing to its next port.
Neither notice names a ship or an attacker, or says whether both involve the same ship.
Why it matters
Explosives fixed to a hull mean a small boat reached a ship in transit. UKMTO's two previous Hormuz attack reports, posted October 23 and 26, described outbound tankers struck by projectiles. A small boat fired an RPG at a ship 78 nautical miles northeast of Jubail on October 16, UKMTO reported.
December Brent traded at $117.17 at 07:57 UTC, up 2.0%, on the contract's last trading day.
What to watch
Ship names and damage reports, any claim of responsibility, and whether insurers reprice the outbound leg. Our morning brief has the full picture.
Sources: UKMTO incident feed, records 186 and 187, checked October 30; Reuters via Arab News, October 30 (explosive devices, fire, crew); CNBC exchange quote, 07:57 UTC. Analysis: Maritime Analyst.