SouthernWorldwide.com – A ship was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning, the British military reported.
The vessel was boarded and taken by unauthorized personnel while it was approximately 38 nautical miles northeast of the UAE’s oil export terminal, Fujairah. This information was reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Thursday.
UKMTO observed the ship heading toward Iranian territorial waters following the seizure, according to their report on Thursday.
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British authorities did not disclose information regarding the ship’s ownership or who was responsible for its seizure. Despite the lack of official confirmation, the BBC reported that the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan was seized in the Strait on Thursday.
The BBC, citing the risk-management company Vanguard, reported that the ship’s operators informed Vanguard that the Hui Chuan was functioning as a “floating armory.” This meant it was equipped to provide weapons for ships in the Strait to defend themselves against pirates.
The Strait of Hormuz has seen at least two other ship seizures since February.
In April, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the Panamanian-flagged ships MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas within the Strait.
