A grenade attack. That what Lloyd’s List Daily Commercial News is saying may have caused the damage to the M.Star, a very large carrier of crude oil, operated by Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines. LLDCN has been reporting maritime news from Australia since 1892. They are an unimpeachable source. They deal with the economic realities of shipping.

One of the Persian Gulf media outlets, which has continuously protested against the possibility of the incident being an attack, and whose headline read “Attack Ruled out in Hormuz Tanker Incident”, briefly ran a photo of the M. Star in port at Fujairah in the UAE after the attack, with a clear view of the ship and the damage.

The impacted area is on the starboard side of the ship, exactly below the superstructure from where it is navigated, and where the crew’s quarters are.

Since the ship was traveling in the Persian Gulf, coming from the United Arab Emirates, toward the Strait of Hormuz, that means whatever struck it came from (more…)

Both Iran and the United States, in a unique moment of mutuality, have agreed the explosion was the result of a weapon hitting the Japanese ship. That is the assessment of Israel sources close to both.

Official Iran denies any involvement. At the moment, the United States is believing them. It appears that both sides are determined not to let this incident tip the delicate balance in the region into full blown war. At least not yet.

Speculation as to the perpetrators centers on Pirates… yes, pirates. For a little deeper insight on that, maybe read the post Eritrea. Those pirates are said to be in the pay of Al Qaeda. Of course.

Other possibility being whispered is a ‘rogue element’ of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Some captain or colonel pushed over the brink by the UN/US/EU sanctions. Sort of like in Dr. Strangelove.

The United States 5th Fleet homed in Bahrain, and the Iranian navy at Bandar Abbas, near the epicenter of the tiny 3.4 earthquake initially blamed for the explosion, are all on high alert. As are all the other warships in the area, estimated at about 100 military vessels.

That does not include the small-boat ’swarm’ of the Iranians.

“Keep a weather eye open, mateys, and hold on tight, with both hands if you please… there be squalls ahead, and Davey Jones waiting for them what don’t obey…”

A Japanese oil supertanker was hit by something while approaching the Strait of Hormuz, and sustained significant damage, but not enough to create an oil leak.

A lifeboat on the crew’s deck was blown off the vessel. There were fires that were put out without the oil catching fire. Hatches may have been damaged.

Most media report that the cause was a freak wave generated by a 3.4 earthquake around Bandar Abbas on the Iranian shore. Other oil supertanker captains reported feeling the earthquake.

However.

A crew member of the oil tanker told the ship’s owners there was a “flash of light” on the horizon immediately before the ship was hit.

The official Iranian news source, agreeing with Israeli sources for once, is calling the event “an explosion”. They dutifully report that Oman’s coastguard is sticking to the earthquake theory. But interestingly, neither the Iranians nor the Israelis concur with that stance.

My question is, when was the last time an earthquake caused an explosion and fire aboard a ship?

I suppose it’s possible. But I think pretty unlikely.

If you remember the early reports of the sinking of the South Korean warship, the possibility of an attack by North Korea was dismissed out of hand. Later, of course, they were handed full responsibility.

Did we see the opening volley of war in the Strait of Hormuz? Possible. Maybe not. We’ll see.

The meeting between Middle Eastern rulers on July 30 was going to have great significance from its inception. It started as a war conference between Iran, Syria and Lebanon, and then mystically morphed into a clash between the two hegemonic states of the region, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Now events are overtaking all involved, so that what happens on Friday may end with an agreement that will bring peace for the present time, or shatter the region with a great war that may spread far beyond the oil-rich sands.
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