ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker en route from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore unexpectedly changed direction and started moving toward Iranian territorial waters, the British maritime security firm Ambrey stated on Friday.
According to Ambrey, the tanker, the Talara, was approached by three small boats as it transited southbound through the Strait of Hormuz and later deviated from its course in the Gulf of Oman.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre labeled the tanker’s movement as “suspicious” and said it was alerted to an incident occurring 20 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the UAE.
"Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO," it said.