Limpet mines damage tanker in Strait of Hormuz, crew unharmed

A small boat attached two limpet mines to the hull of the Panama-flagged tanker Louise 1 in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire in its engine room and briefly disabling the vessel, maritime sources said on Friday. The incident occurred about 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab on Thursday.

British navy agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that the crew was safe, there was no environmental impact and the fire had been put out. The tanker continued to its next port of call.

Maritime security analysts said it was the first successful use of limpet mines in the waterway since the conflict between the United States and Iran began in February. A separate attempt in September using similar devices failed to detonate.

"The apparent ability of a small craft to approach a transiting tanker, deploy explosive devices and withdraw presents a significant security concern, particularly in the Strait's congested shipping lanes," Greece-based maritime risk management group Marisks said in a note.

Marisks added that limpet mines have been used in the region since 2017 and are "cheap and easily available," describing the method of attaching them as "cheap, low tech and very efficient."

The vessel, operated by Aquarius Maritime Ventures, could not be reached for comment. Earlier this year, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the same tanker in the Black Sea with naval drones, alleging its involvement in transporting Russian oil.

Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Renee Maltezou, Hatem Maher and Tom Balmforth; editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Sharon Singleton.