A cargo ship was hit by an “unknown projectile” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, which caused a small fire on board in the early hours of Thursday (12), the United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations Authority (UKMTO) said.
The incident marks the sixth attack in two days on vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, as Iran ramps up its deployment of cargo ships and energy suppliers in the region.
The incident occurred 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali, a major port city near Dubai, according to UKMTO, the maritime authority responsible for the region.
The statement said that a full assessment of the damage was “prejudiced by darkness” but that all crew were safe.
Overnight, two foreign oil tankers were set on fire in Iraqi waters following an Iranian attack. At least one person died and 38 crew members were rescued from the vessels.
One also caught fire and its crew was evacuated after being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Wednesday (11). Two other vessels also reported being hit on the same day.
What is happening in the Middle East?
The United States and Israel are at war with Iran. The conflict began on February 28, when a coordinated attack between the two countries killed the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran.
Several high-ranking officials of the Iranian regime were also killed. Furthermore, the US claims to have destroyed dozens of the country’s ships, as well as air defense systems, planes and other military targets.
In retaliation, the Ayatollahs’ regime made the region such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq and Oman. Iranian officials say they are targeting only U.S. and Israeli interests in those nations.
More than 1,200 civilians have died in Iran since the start of the war, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The White House, in turn, registered at least seven deaths of American soldiers in direct relation to the Iranian attacks.
