Graphic: Helios Ray Ship:
Reuters
A Bahamas-flagged ship, the MV HELIOS RAY, was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security firm said on Friday.
The cause of the explosion is unclear.
“Investigations are ongoing. Ships and crew are safe,” the UKMTO said, advising ships in the area to be cautious.
The incident took place at 2040 GMT, he said, but did not provide details about a possible cause.
Maritime security firm Dryad Global said MV HELIOS RAY was a vehicle carrier owned by Helios Ray Ltd, an Israeli company registered in the Isle of Man. The ship was heading for Singapore from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
An Israeli Ministry of Transport spokesman said it had no information about an Israeli ship that had been hit in the Gulf.
A company called Helios Ray Ltd is incorporated in the Isle of Man. The ship was managed by Stamco Ship Management, according to the Refinitiv ship tracking data. Stamco Ship Management declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
“While the details of the incident remain unclear, there remains a realistic possibility that the event is the result of asymmetric activity by the Iranian military,” Dryad said in a report on the incident.
Refinitive data show that the ship established Dubai as its current destination.
The US Navy’s fifth fleet in Bahrain said it was aware of the incident and was monitoring the situation.
Tensions have risen in the Gulf region since the United States reintroduced sanctions on Iran in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.
Washington has blamed Iran for several shipping attacks in strategic Gulf waters, including four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, in May 2019. Iran has distanced itself from these attacks.
In early January, Iranian Revolutionary Guards confiscated a South Korean-flagged oil tanker in Gulf waters and detained their crew amid tensions between Tehran and US ally Seoul over frozen Iranian funds in South Korean banks over US sanctions.
In 2018, 21 million barrels per day of oil circulated through the Gulf of Hormuz Strait, equivalent to about 21% of global demand for petroleum liquids at the time, according to the US Energy Information Administration.