Istanbul / Anadolu

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Tuesday morning that an oil tanker was hit off the coast of Oman, in the second such incident in two days.

In a statement, the body said it received reports that an oil tanker, 8 nautical miles northeast of the city of Lima in Oman, was struck by an unknown object in the Strait of Hormuz.

It quoted the safety officer on board as saying the crew had left the vessel and were currently on a lifeboat.

On Monday, the British body announced that a ship was attacked by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman, causing a fire on board and the evacuation of its crew.

The two incidents come at a time of ongoing military confrontation between the United States and Iran, one of whose main axes is the regulation of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, strategic for global energy supplies.

For more than a week, Tehran has been launching attacks on what it says are US military installations and equipment in Arab countries, particularly Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, in response to the daily US bombardment that Iran is subjected to.

US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire stipulated in the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran on June 18 had ended.

Trump's announcement came after Iran targeted three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran insists on imposing a mechanism to regulate the passage of ships through the vital corridor, while Washington demands guaranteeing freedom of navigation and its security in the strait.

The escalation has disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and threatened aviation and energy supplies, amid intermittent closures of airspace and warnings of attacks on US facilities and interests outside the Middle East.