Projectile hits tanker off Dubai, causing fire on board

A projectile struck a tanker off Dubai and caused a fire on board, according to a warning from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The crew was reported safe.

The incident was reported at 8:20 p.m. UTC (4:20 p.m. EDT) on Monday about 31 nautical miles northwest of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, according to UKMTO, the British military’s maritime security coordination center.

The ship’s company security officer said the projectile hit the tanker on the starboard side and started a fire. The warning did not identify the vessel or say who may have launched the projectile.

The strike came after weeks of disruption in and around the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with most shipping traffic still heavily restricted even as a small number of vessels have recently started moving again.

President Trump said earlier Monday that the United States would launch broader attacks on Iran if a deal is not reached shortly and the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately reopened, warning that targets could include the country’s electric generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island and possibly desalination plants.