Washington/Tehran, March 2 (.) A US-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Imperative, was reportedly struck by Iranian projectiles while docked in the Port of Bahrain on Monday, according to maritime security firm Vanguard Tech and regional shipping monitors.
Vanguard said that the two projectiles – described as either drones or missiles – hit the vessel, sparking a fire on board. The blaze was later extinguished and the crew evacuated safely. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center said that a “vessel had been struck by two unknown projectiles causing a fire” in the Port of Bahrain, without identifying the ship.
“The fire has been extinguished and the vessel remains in port,” the UKMTO said, adding that all members of the crew were “safe and have evacuated the vessel.”
The vessel had previously been involved in a tense encounter earlier this month. United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that on February 3 Iranian military boats and a drone approached the Stena Imperative at high speed while it was travelling through the Strait of Hormuz – a critical shipping route off the coast of Iran which controls nearly 1/5th of the world’s oil supply (approx. 20 million oil barrels per day) – which has virtually shut down following the escalation of hostilities in the region over the weekend.
According to CENTCOM, the Iranian units threatened to board and seize the tanker but were deterred after a US guided-missile destroyer intervened and escorted the vessel, with support from US Air Force assets.
Following that confrontation, the tanker continued towards Bahrain, where it had been scheduled to arrive on February 5, according to maritime tracking data.
. . CDS