Significantly and unusually, this particular attack occurred hundreds of miles from the Strait of Hormuz itself. Also, in this instance, the vessel targeted was not a large tanker, but instead was a tugboat.
“On Sunday evening, an Emirati-owned offshore tug was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, somewhere northwest of the Musandam Peninsula,” The Maritime Executive reports. “Security consultancy Vanguard Tech has identified the vessel as the UAE-owned Selat Storm, an older offshore tug/supply ship of about 1,300 dwt.”
The boat was soon after the attack observed to be “partially sinking” – the same maritime monitor report indicates. There’s speculation that stepped-up Iranian attacks on shipping in the Hormuz Strait of the last several weeks has required an increase in the number of emergency tug operations, leading to these being targeted:
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The status of the vessel’s crew was not reported. It was the second likely Iranian attack on a tug in the Strait of Hormuz since October 18, when a projectile hit the Dutch-flagged tug JIF Barracuda – illustrating the hazards of the narrow waterway for vessels of all classes.
The two tugs’ activities at the time of the strikes have not been reported, but the high count of disabled and damaged tankers in the strait implies an abundant need for salvage towing.
There had been a prior ship attack earlier Sunday, also after last Thursday the Iranians claimed four tankers hit mines while trying to make ‘illegal’ passage of the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump is threatening renewed attacks on Iran; however, there are indicators that suggest he’s ready to given diplomacy a further chance.
He told supporters in Iowa on Sunday, “The only reason why I’m not finished with Iran is I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can.” But then he added: “at some point we’re going to have to give them the hammer.”
Tehran, for its part, is signaling it is ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States meets its conditions. But these conditions include asks that Trump is unlikely to bend to – such as war reparations and the removal of all forces from locations near the Islamic Republic.
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Days ago, the IRGC pulled off its first known limpet mine attack on a tanker since 2019:
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a fresh statement, “The possibility of implementing this plan in two days is another indication of Iran’s good-faith approach.”
“If Iran’s demands are met, it would be possible to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and resume the negotiating process within a short period,” he added, confirming indirect message exchanges with Washington have persisted.
By Zerohedge.com
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