Two Tankers Attacked in Hormuz... Ministry Confirms 'Not Korean-Flagged Vessels' (Comprehensive)

As military clashes between the United States and Iran escalate once again, it has been reported that two vessels exiting the Strait of Hormuz were attacked. With the U.S. military conducting airstrikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, concerns are rising anew about disruptions in crude oil supply and demand. Some foreign media outlets initially reported that one of the attacked vessels was a Korean ship, but the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries clarified that it was not a Korea-flagged vessel.

Reuters Yonhap News

On September 1 (local time), maritime security consultancy Marisks announced that the 'Sidra' and 'Senegal Prosperity' were struck by unknown projectiles on the night of August 31 in waters near Khasab, Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), under the British Navy, also reported that an incident occurred in the same area on the same day. However, it added that there were no reports of casualties or environmental damage.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing classification society Bureau Veritas, reported that the Liberia-flagged 'Senegal Prosperity' is managed by a subsidiary of Sinokor Maritime. Sinokor Maritime is the tanker shipping unit of Sinokor Merchant Marine. The Saudi-flagged 'Sidra' is owned and operated by Saudi shipping company Bahri.

However, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries explained that this vessel is not a Korea-flagged ship. The ministry stated, "We are aware that the ship that was attacked is not a Korea-flagged vessel, but rather registered in Liberia," and further explained, "Sinokor Merchant Marine has chartered the vessel and subsequently sub-chartered it." It added, "This vessel has no record of being registered in the domestic shipping industry, and there were no Korean crew members on board."

It is not yet known whether Iran was directly responsible for the attack. However, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on the same day via X (formerly Twitter) that "U.S. forces launched strikes against IRGC targets in Iran starting at noon today." It added, "This operation is in response to recent IRGC attempts to attack merchant ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. military forces deployed in the region."

Recently, as military clashes between the United States and Iran have intensified, the number of vessels transiting the area has dropped significantly. According to provisional data from shipping intelligence firm Kpler, only nine bulk carriers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on August 31. The WSJ reported that this is a significant decrease compared to the daily average of 31 vessels immediately after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a tentative peace accord at the end of June, and the daily average of 99 vessels during the 10 days before the outbreak of war.

Marisks explained that the risk level facing merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz is high and is becoming increasingly unpredictable. The company is advising vessels to postpone non-essential transits through the strait until the scale of the U.S. attacks and Iran’s potential response become clearer.

Dimitris Maniatis, founder and CEO of Marisks, told the New York Times (NYT) that Iran is not attacking ships in the Persian Gulf randomly, but instead selects its targets based on their association with the United States and its allies. Previously, on August 23, Iranian authorities blacklisted 45 tankers for violating regulations for transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, five vessels associated with the Sinokor Merchant Marine group were included.

CEO Maniatis stated, "Everyone says the situation is worsening or getting worse," but added, "It's not actually getting worse—it's that the same incidents keep repeating." He explained that instead of targeting neighboring countries in the Gulf region, Iran has recently shifted to attacking vessels.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.