A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz reported hearing two explosions roughly 16 kilometres southeast of Kumzar, Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre confirmed, updating an earlier incident in the same waterway. The vessel's captain told UKMTO that the blasts were heard as the ship moved through the strait near the Omani coast.
UKMTO confirmed that the crew and the tanker are safe, and no environmental damage has been reported. The cause of the explosions remains unclear.
The report follows an earlier blast near the strait on Monday. Iran has exercised de facto control over the strait since the Middle East war began on 28 February and has previously opened fire on vessels it accused of deviating from authorised routes. Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that Iran and Oman had agreed on geographic coordinates for a new shipping route through the strait.