The Panama-flagged, 302,000 dwt Gem No.2 was struck by an unidentified projectile on Friday around 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera, UAE, sparking a fire that was subsequently extinguished.     Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel, which is managed in Taiwan and linked to U-Ming Marine Transport.     India’s minister for ports, shipping and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, subsequently said the tanker had come under drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage and confirmed that all 22 Indian seafarers were safe. The extent of damage remains unclear.     The attack followed another tanker strike off Qatar and came as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned they would pursue ships taking what Tehran considers unauthorised routes anywhere in the region, rather than just inside Hormuz.     The Guards also claimed to have struck the Vietnamese LPG carrier NV Sunshine, although independent confirmation remains elusive.     The violence continued on Saturday. (10 Oct) UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that an unidentified outbound tanker was struck on its port side by a projectile within Hormuz, triggering another fire. Its crew was reported safe. Iran separately claimed a supertanker had exploded after hitting a naval mine while exiting the strait through an unauthorised route. The vessel was not named and the account remains unverified.   

Meanwhile, in the Gulf of Oman, US forces struck the stern of the Panama-flagged bulker Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun, disabling its propulsion after it allegedly ignored warnings under Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports. No crew injuries were reported.