A tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile on October 1st, local time, causing a fire, but third-party reports indicate that the crew members are safe, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

However, the UKMTO did not disclose detailed information such as the name, nationality, route, or type of cargo of the vessel.

The extent of the damage and environmental impact have not yet been determined.

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack.

Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, citing the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), its agency managing traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, claimed that the "violating vessel" was a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) capable of carrying 2.5 million barrels of crude oil, and that it was struck about 8 kilometers off the coast of Oman while using an "unauthorized route" south of the strait.

Fars reported that several tankers have been struck by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz over the past few days, and that the latest three of them were owned or chartered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Citing confidential documents provided by a Western security official, The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 2nd that Iran has covertly carried out about 30 drone attacks and 10 missile attacks per week targeting commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz since early August.

The official stated that at least four commercial vessels have been attacked by Iran over the past 10 days.

The UKMTO has tallied that at least 13 vessels, mainly tankers, have been hit by projectiles or projectile fragments since September 10th.

Regarding the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Ian Ralby, head of the non-profit maritime security firm Auxilium Worldwide, told the NYT, "The apparent lack of a military response by the U.S. to Iranian ship attacks may be because it is looking for an exit strategy from the war."

He added that with Middle Eastern crude oil supplies increasing, the U.S. government may also judge that it has less to gain from retaliatory strikes.

It is estimated that recently, as Persian Gulf oil-producing countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have deployed the so-called "oil shuttle" method, Iran's control capability has weakened, and the flow of energy logistics has recovered significantly.

The "oil shuttle" refers to a method where oil-laden tankers are escorted by the U.S. military to slip out of the strait and then supply export volumes through ship-to-ship transfers in the relatively safer waters of the Gulf of Oman.

Accordingly, shipping intelligence firms estimate that the volume of crude oil and petroleum product shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz last week recovered to three-fourths of pre-war levels, and when combined with alternative routes such as the Red Sea and other pipelines, it has recovered to nearly the same level as before the war.

Commenting on Iran's vessel attacks, the NYT explained, "While Middle Eastern crude oil exports have recovered in recent weeks, Iran is trying to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, a major source of its influence, showing that navigation through the strait remains perilous."

It also cited experts' views, forecasting that U.S. military escort operations for transit through Hormuz require substantial resources and cannot be maintained indefinitely.

Ana Subašić, an analyst at shipping research firm Kep1er, pointed out, "The fact that more ships and oil are moving than during previous wartime periods does not mean that trade volume is normalizing."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)