Graphic: Helios Ray Ship:
Reuters
A Bahamian-flagged vessel, the MV HELIOS RAY, was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security company reported on Friday.
The cause of the explosion is unclear.
“Investigations are ongoing. The ship and crew are safe,” said the UKMTO advisory notice, which advised ships in the area to be careful.
The incident occurred at 2040 GMT, he said, but gave no details on 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 on the Isle of Man. The ship was bound for Singapore from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
A spokesman for Israel’s Ministry of Transport said it had no information about an Israeli ship’s attack in the Gulf.
A company named Helios Ray Ltd is incorporated in the Isle of Man. The vessel was managed by Stamco Ship Management, according to Refinitiv vessel tracking data. Stamco Ship Management declined to comment when Reuters contacted him by phone.
“While details about the incident are still 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. incident.
Refinitiv data show that the ship has established Dubai as its current destination.
Bahrain’s fifth fleet, based 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 re-imposed 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 attacks on shipping in strategic Gulf waters, including four ships, including two Saudi tankers, in May 2019. Iran distanced itself from those attacks.
In early January, Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized a South Korean-flagged oil tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew amid tensions between Tehran and US ally Seoul over Iranian funds. frozen in South Korean banks due to US sanctions.
In 2018, 21 million barrels per day of oil flowed through the Gulf of Hormuz Strait, equivalent to approximately 21% of global demand for petroleum liquids at the time, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. USA.