Projectile strike ignites fire aboard tanker off Oman: UKMTO

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organisation said Wednesday, October 21, an unknown projectile ignited a fire aboard a tanker in the Persian Gulf off Oman.

The attack occurred 11 nautical miles west of the coastal town of Bukha in the Omani province of Musandam, it said.

The UKMTO said the fire was extinguished and the tanker was at anchor, with its crew safe.

The attack was the latest against vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without coordinating with Iran amid its conflict with the United States.

Iraq closes busy border crossing with Iran

Iraqi authorities on Wednesday closed a busy southeastern border crossing with Iran until further notice, two Iraqi government officials told The Associated Press.

The officials said the closure of the al-Sheeb border crossing on Wednesday was for technical reasons to install security cameras and bolster infrastructure to combat smuggling. The officials were speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The crossing that links southeastern Iraq’s Maysan province with Iran’s Khuzestan southwest of the Islamic Republic is often busy with traffic.