A ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) said on July 20, amid US and Iran's dispute over control of this key waterway.
UKMTO has received a report of an incident 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. UKMTO has received information from military authorities that a ship is on fire," the British organization said in a statement, adding that the cause of the fire has not yet been verified. Authorities are investigating the incident.
Ships are advised to move cautiously and report any suspicious activities to the UKMTO.
A sailor provided Xinhua with an exclusive recording of maritime radio calls in the early morning of July 20, showing that the US military made many radio calls to confirm the condition of the burning ship but did not receive a response.
Kumzar is located at the northernmost tip of Oman, near the southern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. After the memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran in June, two transshipment routes were established in the Strait of Hormuz, with the northern route controlled by Iran and the southern route near Oman. The US military has provided guidance support on the southern route. Several commercial ships have recently been attacked near the southern route, raising concerns about maritime security.
