Vessel En Route To Iran As “Floating Armoury” Seized Off UAE’s Fujairah

A vessel anchored off the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah was boarded by unauthorised personnel on Thursday and later seen heading toward Iranian territorial waters, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The incident took place around 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah, one of the UAE’s main oil export terminals outside the Strait of Hormuz.

UKMTO said the report was received from the vessel’s company security officer and that investigations are continuing.

Maritime security sources identified the ship as the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan, which shipping databases list as a fisheries research vessel.

Maritime risk management company Vanguard said the ship had also been operating as a “floating armoury” used to store weapons for private security teams protecting commercial vessels from piracy attacks.

Vanguard said the incident was reported at 0545 GMT on Thursday. According to the company, the vessel was taken while at anchor and later lost contact after its Automatic Identification System (AIS) stopped transmitting.

“The vessel is reportedly bound for Iranian territorial waters,” Vanguard said in its advisory.

Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the vessel last broadcast its position around 70 kilometres northeast of Fujairah on Wednesday.

Data also showed the ship was later seen in the Gulf of Oman within Iran’s exclusive economic zone on May 12.

The vessel’s operator, listed as Marshall Islands-based SG Navigation, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The incident comes during growing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest energy shipping routes.

At least two other vessels have reportedly been seized by Iran since the conflict that began after US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.

Another maritime incident was also reported in the region this week. The Indian-flagged vessel Haji Ali was attacked off the coast of Oman while travelling from Somalia to Sharjah in the UAE, according to Indian officials and maritime security reports.

Vanguard said the vessel was carrying livestock when a fire broke out onboard following what was believed to be a drone or missile strike. The vessel later sank off the Oman coast.

All 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Oman Coast Guard units and transferred to Diba Port.

India’s foreign ministry called the attack “unacceptable” and condemned continued attacks on commercial shipping and civilian mariners.

The latest incidents are likely to raise fresh concerns over shipping security near the Strait of Hormuz, a key route used for global oil and gas shipments.

Fujairah is also strategically important because it is the UAE’s main oil export port outside the Persian Gulf.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz was also discussed during talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.

According to a White House statement, both sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support global energy flows.

Chinese and Iranian media reports also said Chinese vessels had begun transiting the strait under new Iranian protocols after requests from Beijing.

Iranian officials continued to defend Tehran’s stand on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s senior vice president Mohammadreza Aref said the waterway belongs to Iran and that the country would not give it up “at any price”, according to state media.

Iran’s judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir also said Iran has the legal right to seize oil tankers linked to the United States, accusing Washington of violating international maritime laws.

References: Reuters, UKMTO