Tanker feared sinking in Strait of Hormuz

A tanker reported on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, was seen largely submerged by a passing ship, Splash247 reported, with a suspected projectile strike cited by maritime security firm Vanguard and not confirmed by UKMTO.

Why it matters: Hormuz carries the Gulf's oil and LNG exports, and the possible loss of a tanker in the strait, with its crew's status still unknown, is the kind of incident that has repeatedly repriced war risk during the current crisis.

Data as of Update 2026-10-29T04:41:28-04:00: the largely submerged sighting, the suspected projectile strike and the nearby vessel are from Splash247, October 29, 2026, read in full in this run, reporting maritime security firm Vanguard and the master of a passing Panama flagged tanker; Splash247 states UKMTO has not independently confirmed a projectile strike or that the vessel is sinking, and the International Maritime Organization incident and fatality totals are as cited there. Earlier: UKMTO Advisory 002/OCT/2026 (update 001 to incident 095-26), issued at 0256 UTC on October 29, 2026 and read in full from UKMTO's recent incidents listing: incident time, position, category and the master's failure to respond are UKMTO's own. Reuters, via Arab News, carried the same report the same morning and reported the crew's status as unknown. Neither UKMTO nor Reuters states a cause, and the tanker's name is withheld in the advisory. Developing item.

Latest: The tanker reported on fire off Khasab may be sinking. Splash247 reported that the master of a passing Panama flagged tanker saw the unidentified vessel on fire and mostly underwater, raising concern it had sunk or was sinking, and that another vessel was nearby, potentially assisting, although no rescue operation has been confirmed. Maritime security firm Vanguard described the incident as a suspected projectile strike; UKMTO has not independently confirmed that the vessel was struck by a projectile or that it is sinking, and the ship’s identity, flag, ownership and cargo, and the fate of its crew, remain unconfirmed. Splash247 cited International Maritime Organization figures showing 121 confirmed maritime incidents across the Middle East this year as of October 27, with 24 seafarer fatalities.

UKMTO has received a sighting report of a tanker on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, at position 26 27.0N 056 24.6E, 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, with an incident time of 0205 UTC on Thursday. The advisory, categorised as fire or explosion, says the tanker’s master is not responding to VHF calls and that authorities have been notified.

Vessels are advised to transit the area with caution and to report any incidents or suspicious activity to UKMTO. The tanker’s name is withheld, no cause has been stated, and Reuters reported that the status of its crew is unknown, with no information yet on damage or environmental impact.

Tanker feared sinking in Strait of Hormuz

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