On May 26 (local time), according to The Maritime Executive magazine, a large Greek crude oil tanker recorded an explosion off Oman, causing damage to the hull and fuel leakage into the sea.
According to information from the Joint Maritime Information Center, the ship that encountered the incident was identified as Olympic Life, with a tonnage of about 318,676 tons. The ship was built in 2019, owned by Greece and registered in the Marshall Islands.
Tracking data shows that the ship is about 60 nautical miles east of the Oman coast, in the Arab Sea, near the strategic maritime route leading to the Strait of Hormuz. The ship is believed to be moving away from Oman after previously anchored near the Malacca area and awaiting further instructions.
According to a report sent to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the ship's captain said that an "external explosion" occurred in the area above the water level on the port side of the ship.
Initial reports show that the hull was damaged but no casualties were recorded in the crew. However, part of the fuel for ship operation spilled into the sea after the incident.
The exact cause of the incident has not yet been determined. However, the incident occurred at a time when the area near the Strait of Hormuz was attracting attention due to increasing military tensions between the US and Iran.
Earlier, US officials said that US forces discovered ships of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deploying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington then announced that it had conducted attacks on these ships as well as missile launchers near Bandar Abbas.
Meanwhile, Iran accused US military operations of violating the ceasefire agreement and declared that the Middle East region would not become a "shield" to protect US forces.
New developments are increasing concerns about the risk of affecting maritime security on one of the world's most important energy transport routes.
