The British navy downgrades the classification of the attack on a ship near the coast of Yemen to an incident
The British Navy has downgraded an “attack” on a ship off Yemen to an “accident,” but said the situation is continuing and advised other ships in the region to be vigilant, Bloomberg reported.
Circumstances of the incident
British maritime trade operations said Friday that a ship came under fire off the coast of Yemen, a day after Iran was accused of seizing an oil tanker in the north of the Gulf.
“There is no indication that the two incidents are related, she said, and the attack on Yemen was close to the country’s coast and away from shipping lanes that are typically used by large vessels.”
The British military said that shots were fired from three boats at the vessel, which is about 18 nautical miles south of the Yemeni town of Nashton. It was not immediately clear who was behind the latest attack or what type of ship was targeted.
“The authorities confirmed it was the activity of a government agency,” she later said, without further explanation.
American claims
The United States has demanded that Iran release a tanker transporting crude through the Gulf of Oman, in the latest flare-up in one of the world’s important waterways, where the attack occurred in a narrow sea lane between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
“Iran’s actions run contrary to international law and undermine regional security and stability,” Washington said. The Iranian government must immediately release the oil tanker.”
Iranian confession
For its part, Tehran announced that an oil tanker flying the Marshall Islands flag rammed into an Iranian vessel, prompting the Iranian navy to seize the vessel in the Gulf of Oman and steer it toward its coastal waters.
Oil Prices After the Accident
Bloomberg added that oil prices were largely flat on Friday, after the shooting on the ship, with Brent crude up 0.4% to $78.70 a barrel at 11:00 a.m. London time.
