Hormuz tanker fire, projectile strike reported by UKMTO

As of 8:57 p.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026

A tanker caught fire about 8 nautical miles northwest of Khasab, Oman, on Saturday, Nov. 7, and its crew was evacuated, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. An hour later, a second tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while sailing outbound through the Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO said in a separate warning. All of that ship's crew were reported safe.

UKMTO did not name either ship or say who was responsible, and it did not link the two reports. Both were "time-late" reports, issued Sunday morning, Nov. 8.

Two UKMTO warnings

In Warning 199-26, labeled "suspicious activity," UKMTO said military authorities reported that a tanker was on fire near Khasab at 1920 UTC Saturday, 2:20 p.m. ET, "which has resulted in the evacuation of the crew." The warning gave no cause for the fire.

In Warning 200-26, labeled "attack," UKMTO said a tanker's company security officer reported the vessel was "struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz" at 2020 UTC, 3:20 p.m. ET. "All crew are safe and accounted for and there is no reported environmental impact at this time," UKMTO said. Both warnings told ships to transit with caution "whilst authorities investigate."

Regional threat level 'severe'

The Joint Maritime Information Center, in Advisory Update 112 issued Sunday, kept its regional threat level at "severe."

The update also listed a separate Nov. 5 report in which the master of an unnamed tanker heading outbound through the strait reported an explosion at the waterline about 16 nautical miles east of Khasab. The crew was reported safe and the ship continued its voyage, JMIC said.

Seafarer killed earlier in the week

In a separate incident on Thursday, Nov. 5, one seafarer was killed aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Velos Sapphire in the Persian Gulf, its Greek manager, Velos Tankers Ltd., said in a statement. The company said an explosion "likely caused by an unidentified projectile" struck the ship's port quarter while it sailed without cargo toward Sitra, Bahrain. The crew put out the resulting fire, and the ship went to Bahrain's Khalifa Bin Salman port, where an investigation will be carried out, the company said. The origin of the projectile has not been established.