After U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, it was belatedly confirmed that a Chinese-owned oil tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. This is the first time a Chinese vessel has suffered direct damage in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the 8th, Reuters, citing the Chinese business outlet Caixin, reported that on the 4th an oil products tanker owned by a Chinese shipowner was attacked in the offshore waters of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire on deck.
According to the report, the attack occurred in Gulf waters near Mina Saqr, UAE, and the vessel was said to have markings indicating "Chinese owner and crew." However, the shipowner and whether there were any injuries among those on board, as well as the specific extent of the damage, have not yet been confirmed.
Maritime security sources believe the struck vessel is likely the JV Innovation, an oil and chemical products tanker registered in the Marshall Islands. On the day of the incident, the ship notified nearby vessels of a deck fire.
This incident is the first case of a Chinese vessel being attacked since the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that was triggered after U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran in Feb. Caixin said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been attacking merchant ships from multiple countries in succession and cited a vessel of France's CMA CGM, the world's No. 3 shipping company, as having suffered a similar attack.
The party responsible for the attack on the Chinese tanker has not been officially identified. Reuters said China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 4th that he would launch "Project Freedom" to assist the movement of ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, but he suspended it a day later.
As tensions rise in the Middle East, hundreds of ships and about 20,000 crew members are currently stranded in Gulf waters. With ship attacks resuming this week, assessments say passage through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively entered a state of paralysis. In this situation, with Chinese vessels also taking direct hits, concerns are growing that disruptions to passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key gateway for the world's crude shipments, could be prolonged.