Ship Taken in Gulf of Oman and Heading to Iran, UK Navy Says

A UK naval group reported a commercial vessel was taken by unauthorized personnel at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and is now bound for Iranian waters, the latest indication of Tehran exerting control on shipping in the region.

The ship was taken 38 nautical miles off the UAE in the Gulf of Oman where it was at anchor, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said in a statement, without identifying the vessel. That puts it close to the entrance of Hormuz and a significant distance off the coast of the UAE. The UKMTO liaises between the military and commercial shipping in the region.