An oil product tanker is reported to had been fired at by the Iranian naval forces while transiting the Gulf on Thursday.
Singapore-flagged tanker Alpine Eternity was approached by five Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ships at about noon (0800 GMT), Reuters said citing U.S. officials.
The ships fired warning shots as they tried to intercept and seize the vessel.
The ship’s crew issued a radio call for help, which was answered by the United Arab Emirates that dispatched coast guard vessels to aid the tanker. Once at the scene the Iranian departed the area.
The 2009-built tanker was forced to flee the area setting sail for UAE’s territorial waters.
Based on the latest vessel tracking data by Marine Traffic the 46,100-tonne ship is currently at anchor in Dubai area.
The data shows that the ship’s last port was Port of Hidd and its destination Jebel Ali.
The chemical tanker is managed by Norwegian tanker operator Transpetrol.
The reason behind the approach is believed to be another attempt to settle a legal dispute by force, U.S. officials said.
Namely, the tanker is said to be liable for damage to an Iranian-owned oil platform it hit on March 22, Reuters reported.
The latest attempt to intercept a shipping vessel comes in the wake of the arrest of Maersk Tigris by Iranian navy also on the grounds of unsettled debt claims dating back to 2005.
World Maritime News Staff