Two vessels have collided off the coast of the UAE, the country’s national guard said today, with at least one confirmed as a crude oil tanker.
The collision occurred early on 17 June in the Sea of Oman, around 24 nautical miles off the port of Khor Fakkan on the UAE’s east coast, according to the national guard.
It identified one of the vessels as the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged _Adalynn_ , a Suezmax crude tanker that had departed Fujairah and was en route to the Suez Canal, according to MarineTraffic data. The national guard said 24 crew members were evacuated and brought ashore at Khor Fakkan.
The second vessel was not officially named, but market sources pointed to the Liberia-flagged _Front Eagle_ , also a crude tanker, which had departed Khor Fakkan and was bound for Zhoushan, China. MarineTraffic data show both vessels are currently stationary, with the _Front Eagle_ listed as “not under command.”
The incident comes a day after the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received multiple reports of “increasing electronic interference” in the Mideast Gulf and strait of Hormuz.
The interference is likely linked to the latest escalation between Israel and Iran, triggered by Israeli air and missile strikes on several Iranian military and nuclear sites on 13 June.
Iran responded with ballistic missile and drone attacks on military targets in Israel, including the Kirya complex in Tel Aviv, which houses the defence ministry. The two sides have since exchanged missile fire with growing intensity, and critical infrastructure was hit over the weekend.
By Nader Itayim and Elshan Aliyev