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A tugboat was struck by two unidentified projectiles off the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, leaving one person slightly injured, while an LNG tanker came under fire from a small boat off Yemen, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The tugboat was traveling southbound northeast of Khor Fakkan in the UAE when it was hit by the projectiles, the British maritime agency said.
The vessel sustained damage but was able to continue its voyage.
“One minor casualty has been reported,” UKMTO said, without providing further details about the injured person or the extent of the damage.
The exact time of the incident had not been confirmed.
In a separate incident, a small boat carrying seven people approached a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker approximately 140 nautical miles southeast of Al Mukalla, Yemen, and opened fire, UKMTO reported.
"A Master of an LNG Tanker has reported being approached by a small skiff with seven persons onboard," the agency said in a statement on X.
"The skiff fired two shots at the tanker whose armed Security Team fired 2 warning shots at the small craft which forced them to alter course," UKMTO added.
The agency urged vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity while authorities investigated the incident.
Further details about the attack were not immediately available.
UKMTO did not identify those responsible for either incident.
The latest incidents came as commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained approximately 70% below pre-conflict levels amid continuing attacks on vessels.
In its weekly overview Friday, UKMTO reported 125 outbound and 129 inbound transits through the strategic waterway over the previous seven days.
The figures represented a decline from 129 outbound and 146 inbound transits recorded the preceding week.
The agency documented 12 attacks on vessels during the reporting period, including 10 in the Strait of Hormuz, one in the Gulf and one in the Gulf of Oman.
Of the 12 vessels involved, six continued their journeys or reached port, one was lost, two were disabled or no longer under command, and the outcomes of three incidents remained unconfirmed.
UKMTO also reported that a container ship was struck by an unidentified projectile near Ras Shaykh Masud on Oct. 13.
The vessel caught fire following the strike and sank the next day, according to the agency.
All crew members were evacuated.
UKMTO warned that establishing the full number of attacks remained difficult because most targeted vessels declined to report incidents.
The agency said it had recorded 84 maritime security incidents in the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began in late February, although the actual number could be higher.
The attacks come amid continuing tensions between Iran and the United States over freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a major passage for global energy and commodity shipments.
The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, followed by a ceasefire in April.
Clashes between Washington and Tehran later resumed as negotiations stalled, although the two countries signed a framework agreement in June.
Maritime security and commercial access through the Strait of Hormuz remain central issues in negotiations between the two sides.
Despite diplomatic efforts, attacks on commercial vessels and restrictions on shipping continue to threaten traffic through one of the world's most important maritime energy routes.
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