British Maritime Agency: Holmuze threat level rises to “serious”

ON 8 JULY, THE BRITISH MARITIME TRADE ACTION OFFICE (UKMTO) INDICATED THAT THREE ATTACKS ON TANKERS NEAR THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ ON TUESDAY HAD RAISED THE MARITIME THREAT LEVEL IN THE AREA TO “SERIOUS” AND SECOND HIGHEST. ACCORDING TO UKMTO, WHILE PASSING THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, AN UNNAMED LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS SHIP WAS HIT AND FIRED BY UNKNOWN OBJECTS ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE ENGINE BAY; ANOTHER SUPER-LARGE TANKER WAS ATTACKED BY UNKNOWN OBJECTS AS IT DEPARTED FROM THE STRAIT, AND THE VESSEL THEN CONTINUED TO TRAVEL TO THE PORT OF DESTINATION WITHOUT ANY CASUALTIES BEING REPORTED; AND A THIRD TANKER WAS ATTACKED NEAR THE AMMAN MUSANDEM PENINSULA, CAUSING MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. UKMTO INDICATED THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF “INTENTIONAL HOSTILITIES” HAD INCREASED IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT AND THAT NAVIGATIONAL INTERFERENCE PERSISTED, AND REMINDED THE VESSELS CONCERNED OF THE HIGH LEVEL OF VIGILANCE. ACCORDING TO THE AGENCY, THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD ' S SHOUTING AND ROUTE INTERVENTIONS CONTINUED, PARTICULARLY AGAINST SHIPS THAT HAD OPENED AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS。