LNG Carrier Struck in Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Attacks

LNG Tanker Disabled After Strike Near Engine Room

According to a report by The Maritime Executive, the Strait of Hormuz saw renewed violence against merchant shipping late on August 1, with two separate attacks attributed to Iranian forces striking vessels in transit. The most serious incident involved the Bermuda-flagged LNG carrier Gaslog Shanghai (IMO 9600528), which was hit near its engine room by an unidentified projectile roughly 11 nautical miles northeast of Limah while sailing south along the Omani coastal route. The vessel, carrying Qatari LNG loaded at Ras Laffan, lost all propulsion power and was left disabled, though no crew injuries were reported. It remains unclear whether the ship was subsequently taken under tow or left drifting.

A second incident earlier the same evening saw a missile or drone detonate roughly five meters from the starboard side of a Liberian-flagged tanker moving westward through the Omani coastal channel. That vessel escaped without damage or casualties and continued its voyage.

Traffic Slows as Diplomacy Advances

The report notes that overall transits through the Strait of Hormuz have declined on both the Iranian and Omani routes, the latter of which allows vessels to receive guidance from the US Navy. This drop in traffic has produced a backlog that is also constraining cargo loadings within the Gulf.

At the same time, there are signs that a resolution may be close. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that bilateral talks between Iran and Oman over shipping movements in the Strait were nearing conclusion. Under Point 5 of the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding, safe passage through the Strait requires an agreement between the two coastal states whose waters vessels must transit. The emerging arrangement reportedly calls for inbound traffic to use a northern channel within Iranian waters, while outbound traffic would run entirely through Omani territorial waters. It remains uncertain how hardline factions within Iran’s political establishment might respond to any settlement.

Bab el Mandeb and the Damietta Incident

Further south, shipping through the Bab el Mandeb has continued largely as normal, with Kpler tracking 40 to 50 daily transits since July 28, including Chinese-flagged vessels proceeding without apparent disruption. The EU’s Operation Aspides continues to escort commercial traffic through the corridor, with Italian and Greek frigates confirmed as active, and the operation’s commander reporting a rise in requests for protection.

The report also clarifies confusion around a July 29 attack on the LNG terminal at Damietta, Egypt. The primary target now appears to have been the Bermuda-flagged floating storage and regasification unit Gaslog Salem, struck near its forward cargo tanks, while damage to the nearby Energos Winter likely resulted from debris or fire spread. The Houthis have denied responsibility for that strike, consistent with their stated focus on extracting financial concessions from Saudi Arabia in ongoing peace negotiations, including a reported demand for $13 billion in back pay.

What This Means for Owners and Charterers

For ship owners and technical managers, these incidents underscore how quickly a routine Gulf transit can turn into a disabling casualty, even without direct targeting intent. A projectile strike near machinery spaces raises immediate questions about hull integrity, fuel and cargo containment, and propulsion redundancy — all areas where a prompt, independent condition survey becomes essential once a vessel reaches safe anchorage or port. Charterers and insurers will also want documented evidence of a ship’s pre-transit condition and any damage sustained, particularly for gas carriers where cargo tank integrity is critical. As traffic patterns shift under any new Iran-Oman routing arrangement, operators should expect closer scrutiny of transit records, AIS behavior, and post-incident inspection reports before vessels are cleared for onward charters or insurance claims are settled.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.