The British Navy reported on Wednesday that the hijackers have left the ship that was targeted for kidnapping off the Emirate of Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman. The British Maritime Operations Agency stated that those who boarded the tanker have departed, and the vessel is safe and the incident has concluded. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency announced that the incident aboard a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, which was considered a "potential kidnapping," ended without damage. The source tweeted that the individuals who boarded the ship "have left it," and it is now "safe and the incident has concluded."
It is not immediately clear who was responsible for the attempted hijacking or which ship was targeted. However, the British maritime data magazine "Lloyd's List" and the maritime intelligence company "Dryad Global" indicated that the vessel that was seized is the asphalt tanker "Asphalt Princess," flagged from Panama. The owning company of the ship, "Glory International," could not be reached immediately for comment.
The announcement of the incident comes amidst rising tensions between Iran and the West regarding Tehran's nuclear agreement with global powers, where commercial shipping in the region has become a target. This incident follows five days after an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman that resulted in two fatalities, for which several Western capitals have held Iran responsible.
The U.S. State Department stated that it was aware of reports of a maritime incident in the Gulf of Oman and expressed concern about the occurrence. Additionally, the State Department noted that it would investigate the matter and continue to share information and coordinate with partners regarding the incident, indicating that an appropriate response to the attack on the Israeli tanker "Mercer Street" is forthcoming, and that Washington is consulting with governments in the region about the response.
Previously, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard denied involvement in the ship incident in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of the UAE. It also refuted, according to local Iranian media, the participation of its allies in the region in the incident, suggesting that what occurred could be a prelude to action against Tehran.
