A vessel was reportedly boarded by unauthorised personnel on Thursday while anchored northeast of the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah and was heading towards Iranian territorial waters, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Two maritime security sources said the vessel was believed to be the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan fishery research ship.
The incident occurred around 38 nautical miles, or 70 kilometres, northeast of Fujairah, UKMTO said, citing information received from the vessel’s security officer.
According to Reuters, British maritime security advisory firm Vanguard said a company security officer reported that “the vessel was taken by Iranian personnel while at anchor”.
The development comes amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route that has faced major disruption during the conflict involving Iran.
Separately, an Indian cargo vessel carrying livestock from Africa to the United Arab Emirates sank on Wednesday in waters off the coast of Oman.
India condemned the attack and confirmed that all 14 crew members had been rescued by the Omani coast guard.
Vanguard said the vessel was believed to have been struck by either a missile or a drone, causing an explosion.
Following talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, the White House said both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz should remain open.
According to the White House readout, Xi reiterated China’s opposition to the militarisation of the strait and to any attempts to impose tolls on ships using the route.
The White House also said Xi expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s future dependence on the strait, while both leaders agreed Iran should never obtain nuclear weapons.
Tehran continues to deny seeking such weapons.
Despite heightened tensions, Iran appears to be negotiating agreements with several countries to permit limited shipping access through the strait under Tehran’s conditions.
A Japanese tanker crossed the waterway on Wednesday after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she had requested assistance from the Iranian president.
A large Chinese tanker also crossed the strait, while Iran’s Fars news agency reported that an agreement had been reached allowing some Chinese vessels to pass.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said 30 ships had crossed the strait since Wednesday evening.
While well below the approximately 140 daily crossings seen before the conflict, the figure would represent a significant increase if verified.
According to reporting from Reuters, shipping analytics firm Kpler estimated that around 10 vessels had transited the strait in the past 24 hours, compared with five to seven ships per day in recent weeks.
