Hijackers who seized a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman have left the ship, according to the Royal Navy.
Recorded radio traffic appeared to reveal a crew member onboard saying Iranian gunmen had stormed the asphalt tanker.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that the incident, which it had described as a “potential hijack” the night before, was “complete”. It did not provide further details.
“The vessel is safe,” the group said, without identifying the ship.
Shipping authority Lloyd’s List and maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global had identified the hijacked vessel as Panama-flagged asphalt tanker Asphalt Princess.