Tanker Hit by Blast Off Kuwait, Hull Breached

The UKMTO has reported an apparent attack on a tanker at a position off the coast of Kuwait, resulting in a hull breach.

The tanker - identified as the Suezmax Sonangol Namibe - was at anchor about 30 nm to the southeast of Kuwait's Mubarak al Kabeer port on Wednesday night. An explosion occurred on the port side, witnessed by the master. A small craft was seen departing the scene.

The blast penetrated a cargo tank, resulting in a spill of oil in the water, according to UKMTO. In a later statement, the operator said that a ballast tank was breached, but that no oil was spilled. The ship has taken on water as well, according to UKMTO.

No fires have been reported, and the crew are unharmed. Contrary to the initial report, the vessel was in ballast at the time of the blastInvestigations into the circumstances of the attack are under way.

The apparent attack is materially different from other recent maritime strikes in the region, in several ways. Geographically, it is the furthest point west from the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that the warlike risk zone fully spans the length of the Arabian Gulf. The presence of a small craft also suggests a hand-placed charge - a limpet mine - which would be consistent with past operations attributed to Iran.

In June 2019, two vessels were hit by suspected limpet mine attacks in the Gulf of Oman. One of the devices was spotted intact on the hull of the tanker Kokuka Courageous, and it closely resembled a known Iranian device, according to U.S. Central Command. Suspected Iranian operatives removed the device and departed before U.S. forces could arrive. Cmdr. Sean Kido, a dive team leader with CENTCOM, told Reuters at the time that blast damage elsewhere on the Kokuka Courageous was consistent with a limpet mine attack - not an airborne munition.