Graph: Helios Ray Ship:
Reuters
A Bahamian flag, the MV HELIOS RAY, was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, the British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security firm said on Friday.
The cause of the explosion is not clear.
“Investigation is underway. The vessel and crew are safe,” said the UKMTO’s advisory notice advising vessels in the area to be careful.
The incident occurred by 2040 GMT, but gave no details about a possible cause.
The maritime safety firm Dryad Global said the MV HELIOS RAY is a vehicle carrier owned by Helios Ray Ltd, an Israeli firm registered in the Isle of Man. The ship was en route from Singapore to Dammam in Saudi Arabia.
An Israeli Ministry of Transportation spokesman said it had no information about an Israeli vessel hit in the Gulf.
A company called Helios Ray Ltd has been incorporated into the Isle of Man. The ship was managed by Stamco Ship Management, Refinitiv ship tracking data showed. Stamco Ship Management declined to comment when contacted by Reuters by telephone.
“While the details of the incident are unclear, it remains a realistic possibility that the incident was the result of the asymmetric activity of the Iranian military,” Dryad said in a report on the incident.
Refinitiv data shows that the ship has set Dubai as its current destination.
The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain has said it is aware of the incident and is monitoring the situation.
Tensions have risen in the Gulf region since the United States reintroduced sanctions against Iran in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the Tehran nuclear deal in 2015 with major powers.
Washington blamed Iran for a number of attacks on shipping in strategic Gulf waters, including four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, in May 2019. Iran distanced itself from these attacks.
In early January, Iran’s revolutionary guards seized a South Korean flag tanker in the Gulf waters and detained its crew amid tensions between Tehran and US ally Seoul over Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks due to US sanctions.
In 2018, 21 million barrels of oil per day flowed through the Gulf’s Hormuz Street, which at the time, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, equated to about 21% of global demand for petroleum fluids.