A cargo ship suffered a “large explosion” along the Iran-Kuwait border on Monday just as Iran fired attacks on a US base near the area.
The Panama-flagged MSC Sariska V container ship was struck by “an unknown projectile” just 40 nautical miles south of Umm Qasr, Iraq, near the border with Kuwait, the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) said.
Video shared online, including by pro-Iran outlets, showed what appeared to be the MSC Sariska V with a large hole in its side taking on water.
The status of the ship remains unclear, with maritime tracking data showing the vessel, which was bound for Qatar, stationed at Umm Qasr.
The attack on the vessel came after Washington and Tehran exchanged strikes on Sunday, with the US intercepting an Iranian MQ-1 Reaper drone targeting Kuwait, where a major American base is located.
Kuwaiti army officials said its forces were “confronting hostile missile and drone attacks” on Monday just hours before the strike on the MSC Sariska V was reported.
Iran has repeatedly targeted Kuwait during the war and cease-fire, with Americans reportedly injured during one of the weekend strikes.
Tensions remain high along the Persian Gulf as Iran signaled it was ending peace negotiations with the US due to Israel’s latest attacks in Lebanon.
Although the hostilities have left the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil choke point, shut down since March, US Central Command said about 70 commercial ships have gone through the passageway over the past three weeks, the New York Times reported.
The ships avoided detection by turning off their transponders and received help from CENTCOM to avoid Iranian mines and drones.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims that 15 vessels, including four oil tankers, transited through the strait under its supervision over the last 24 hours.
The flow still pales in comparison to the more than 130 ships that would cross the Strait of Hormuz every day before the war erupted.
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