Vessel attacked off Yemen coast as Iran-US tensions rise

A vessel came under gunfire off the coast of Yemen, the UK naval service said Friday, a day after Iran was accused of seizing an oil tanker in the Gulf waters much further north.

Shots were fired from three boats at the vessel about 18 nautical miles south of Nishtun in Yemen, the UK Marine Trade Operations office said. It was not immediately clear who was behind the latest attack or what type of ship was targeted.

On Thursday, the United States demanded that Iran release a tanker hauling crude through the Gulf of Oman, the latest flare-up in one of the world’s important waterways. That attack happened in a narrow naval passage between Iran and the Arabian peninsula.

There is no indication the two incidents are connected. The Yemen attack was close to country’s shore and far from the shipping lanes typically used by large vessels.

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Iran’s navy seized the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet in international waters at about 1.15pm local time on Thursday, according to the US naval service.

“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” the US said. “The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker.”

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker collided with an Iranian vessel, prompting Iran’s navy to seize the vessel in Gulf of Oman and direct it to its coastal waters.

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The incident underscores the continuing tensions in a vital transport corridor for oil. Hundreds of tankers sail through the Gulf of Oman each month, on their way to and from the Gulf and the Middle East’s biggest oil-producing nations. In recent years, some ships have turned off their transponders as they navigate around the Arabian peninsula to avoid detection.

In the past two years, Iran has seized at least five commercial vessels in the Middle East, according to the US.

The Advantage Sweet loaded earlier this week in the zone shared by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It was chartered by Chevron Corporation to haul oil to the US, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

“We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible,” Chevron said in a statement. – Bloomberg