A vessel near the Strait of Hormuz was seized by unauthorized personnel while at anchor and is now heading toward Iranian territorial waters, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said Thursday.
The incident was reported 38 nautical miles, or about 70 kilometers, northeast of the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah, a key shipping hub near the entrance to the Persian Gulf. UKMTO did not name the vessel and said authorities were investigating.
The report comes as U.S. President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where Washington is expected to seek China’s help in pressuring Iran to return to negotiations. If Tehran is behind the incident, it would mark a relatively unusual move at a sensitive diplomatic moment.
UKMTO said the vessel had been boarded by “unauthorized personnel” while at anchor and was heading toward Iranian territorial waters. It urged vessels in the area to report any suspicious activity.