(SeaPRwire) – According to reports from the British military, a vessel was seized off the coastline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) close to the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed on Thursday that the vessel was boarded and “taken by unauthorised personnel” when it was located roughly 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah, the UAE’s oil export terminal.
UKMTO reported Thursday that it tracked the vessel moving toward Iranian territorial waters after the seizure took place.
British authorities have not released details on the vessel’s ownership or the identity of the group that seized it. While there is no official confirmation so far, the BBC reported that the Honduras-flagged ship Hui Chuan was the vessel seized in the Strait on Thursday.
Citing risk management company Vanguard, the BBC reported that the ship’s operators informed Vanguard that Hui Chuan was functioning as a “floating armory” for vessels traveling through the Strait to defend against pirate attacks.
At least two other vessels have been seized in the Strait of Hormuz since February this year.
In April, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized two ships in the Strait: the Panamanian-flagged MSC Francesca and the Epaminondes.
Digital reached out to UKMTO and Vanguard for additional details on the incident, but did not receive an immediate response.
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