ALBAWABA - According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, several small boats attacked a cargo ship near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. This has raised new security worries in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
About 11 nautical miles west of the Iranian port city of Sirik, where the event happened, the ship's captain said that several small boats were coming up behind them and aiming at it. The authority said that none of the team members were hurt and that there was no damage to the environment.
No group has claimed credit for the attack, and officials haven't said anything else about who owned the ship or what kind of attack it was. The event is still being looked into.
As the risks to navigation keep going up, the UK's maritime authority has told ships working in the area to stay alert and report any strange behavior.
Also, more reports came in from ships near the coast of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. The captains of those ships said they got radio orders telling them to leave their anchorages, but no explanation was given.
The events happen at a time when emotions are still high in the Gulf. The US continues to put restrictions on Iranian ports, and Tehran continues to limit shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
After failed talks in Pakistan earlier in April, efforts to find a political solution have been put on hold. Donald Trump has extended a brief truce, but there is still a lot of uncertainty about what will happen next.
With no quick solution in sight, the attack shows how weak the security is around global energy routes and how dangerous it is for commercial shipping in the area.
