Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday. [AP]
A container ship was fired upon without warning by a gunboat of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), causing significant damage to the vessel’s bridge, maritime authorities said. The vessel has been identified as the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas, owned by Greece’s Technomar Shipping and operated by MSC.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency, the incident occurred approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz at 6.55 a.m. Greek time.
“The master of a container ship reported that the vessel was approached by 1 IRGC gun boat, no VHF challenge that then fired upon the vessel which has caused heavy damage to the bridge,” a UKMTO warning said. “No fires or environmental impact reported. All crew reported safe,” it added.
The vessel had reportedly been informed it had permission to transit the strait. However, authorities are examining the authenticity of the passage approval message, including whether it may have been fraudulent. [Combined reports]