A ship belonging to Evergreen Marine was hit by an unknown object off Oman but has now safely departed the Strait of Hormuz, the Taiwanese company said on Friday.
There is no doubt the attack was carried out by Iran © Mena Today
A ship belonging to Evergreen Marine was hit by an unknown object off Oman but has now safely departed the Strait of Hormuz, the Taiwanese company said on Friday.
In a statement to the Taiwan stock exchange, the company said the starboard side of the bridge of the Ever Lovely, owned by its Singapore subsidiary, was hit a day earlier by an unknown object 3.6 nautical miles off Oman's Khawr Naiwah.
After an initial inspection by the crew, damage was found around the bridge windows. But the crew, vessel and cargo are all safe, it said.
The main engine and navigation instruments are operating normally and there are no seaworthiness issues, the company said.
It added that the ship was following the recommended route of the British navy agency UKMTO while passing through the strait.
UKMTO said on Thursday that a cargo ship had reported a suspected attack as it attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Omani coast.
In a press statement on Friday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said it was aware that the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely sustained damage at about 1000 SGT on Thursday, and that it would remain in close contact with the vessel's management company.
It added that it was deeply concerned about the incident, which it said was "unprovoked, unjustifiable and a breach of international law".
Reporting by Ben Blanchard
Iran warned on Sunday against any big new attack by the United States and its allies, saying it had information such a move was being prepared, adding to the anxiety in a region already on edge after drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia.
The United States has warned it fears a "rapid escalation" of hostilities in the Middle East, following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia that struck the kingdom's capital for the first time in months.
The Saudi-led military coalition announced Sunday that it had intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels toward Riyadh, where explosions were heard at dawn, the first such incident since hostilities resumed between the kingdom and the Iran-backed fighters.
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