A bulk carrier was reportedly attacked by multiple small craft off the coast of Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

In a brief statement on Sunday, UKMTO said all crew on the unidentified northbound vessel were “reported safe” after the incident that took place 11 nautical miles (20 km) west of Sirik, Iran. “No environmental impact reported,” the agency added.

Sirik is located on the Iranian side of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that has been at the center of the US-Israel war on Iran. Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the strait since the war began in late February, choking off major flows of oil, gas, and fertilizer to the world economy and sending prices soaring.

The United States imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports on April 13, just days after a fragile truce took effect. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday that the 49th vessel attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports had been redirected under its blockade.

“As of today, 49 commercial vessels have been redirected to comply with the blockade. US forces remain fully committed to total enforcement,” CENTCOM said in a social media post.

Source: www.aljazeera.com