A vessel near the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of the United Arab Emirates was seized by unidentified individuals and is being taken toward Iranian territorial waters, a British maritime agency said Thursday.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report of the incident 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) northeast of the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah.
The vessel was "taken by unauthorized personnel whilst at anchor" and "is now bound for Iranian territorial waters," according to the UKMTO.
Several ships have been attacked in or near the key waterway as Iran and the United States push on with rival blockades.
Iran has largely blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – which normally carries one fifth of the world's oil and LNG shipments – since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
The U.S. has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports despite a fragile cease-fire in place since April 8.
On Sunday, South Korea said a cargo ship had been struck by an unidentified aircraft in Hormuz, while Qatar said a freighter arriving in the country's waters from Abu Dhabi was hit by a drone.
