The AP reports that it is not clear who was behind the attempted kidnapping. British television Sky News reported on Tuesday that an unnamed safety source reported that eight or nine men had boarded the Asphalt Princess tanker flying the Panamanian flag. According to Reuters, British security officials assumed that Iranian soldiers or their allies had boarded the ship. However, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps rejected such speculation.
–
The incident came at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West, which is also affecting international shipping in the region. A few days ago, a drone hit an Israeli billionaire oil tanker off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members. The West has blamed Iran for the attack. However, the government in Tehran denied that it played a role in the incident, but Tehran and the militias associated with it have used similar “suicide drones” in the attacks in the past.
–
The Gulf of Oman lies near the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which about a fifth of all oil transported by sea travels. Since 2019, the waters around the UAE Emirate of Fujairah with the metropolis of the same name have been the scene of a series of explosions and hijackings.
—
