The chief engineer of a Chinese-owned oil tanker attacked near the Strait of Hormuz says it is “still unclear” who fired on the vessel.
Chinese media Caixin reported on Thursday, local time, it was the first known attack on one of the country’s oil tankers since the outbreak of the Iran war.
The Marshall Islands‑flagged oil products and chemical tanker, JV Innovation, reported to nearby ships on Monday that a fire had broken out on its deck.
The incident took place off the United Arab Emirates coast, close to Mina Saqr on the Persian Gulf side of the strait.
Liu Haining, the vessel’s chief engineer, had disembarked a week earlier, as part of a scheduled crew rotation.
He told the ABC that his colleagues still on board said the bow of the ship was hit and caught fire but no casualties were reported.
“At this stage, there’s no way to confirm who attacked it,” he said.
“It probably wasn’t a missile — more likely artillery shells or possibly a drone. It’s still unclear.”
He said the vessel remained operational.
It is still unclear why the ship was targeted, or whether the incident was accidental.
“They didn’t expect to be attacked because the ship wasn’t even moving,” Mr Liu said.
Although no-one was injured in the incident, Mr Liu said the attack had caused significant stress among the crew.
“Everyone is quite worried now,” he said.
“After being attacked, people are very nervous.”
Oil tanker like a ‘massive bomb’
In the Automatic Identification System (AIS), JV Innovation’s destination is listed as “CHINA OWNER.CREW”.
The vessel is a 173-metre chemical/oil products tanker built in 2004.
Mr Liu said there were 22 crew members on board, including more than 10 Chinese nationals, as well as seafarers from Myanmar and Indonesia.
The JV Innovation’s crew celebrated the Water Festival in mid-April with its Myanmar members. (Supplied: Liu Haining)
According to Mr Liu, JV Innovation entered the Persian Gulf on January 25.
On February 28, hours after joint US-Israeli military strikes on Iran, the vessel departed in preparation to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Shortly afterwards, both GPS and the Chinese-made BeiDou navigation systems failed during the night, forcing the ship to drift in place until the next morning.
“At that time, there was still no confirmed information that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed,” Mr Liu said.
“We continued sailing towards the strait until around midday, when we gradually received reports that it had been blocked by the Iranian navy.
“It was clear we couldn’t just go in blindly, so we turned around and returned to anchor.”
Liu Haining says the vessel has been anchored for so long that marine growth has built up on the hull. (Supplied: Liu Haining)
On April 18, the vessel again tried to go through the strait after the Iranian government announced that it had fully reopened.
“As soon as news of the full reopening of the strait was announced, many vessels rushed to sail out,” Mr Liu said.
“However, in reality, ships without permission were still being ordered by the Iranian navy to turn back. They ended up going in circles, caught in a difficult situation with no clear way forward or back.”
Hundreds of ships and an estimated 20,000 seafarers remain trapped inside the Gulf, with traffic through the strait paralysed after renewed attacks on ships earlier this week.
“Anyone who operates oil tankers or carries flammable and explosive chemicals knows that sailing fully loaded is like carrying a massive bomb on your back,” Mr Liu said.
“You can’t afford even the slightest mistake. If something really goes wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable. There wouldn’t be anything left at all.
“Right now, all they can do is stay calm, steady the situation, and remain safely anchored.”
Hundreds of ships remain trapped inside the Gulf. (Supplied: Liu Haining)
According to statistics from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), there have been 26 total attack reports in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began on February 28.
Chinese authorities have so far not officially confirmed any attacks involving Chinese vessels.
The attack came amid a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to China, where discussions with his counterpart included the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump is also expected to visit Beijing next week for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the Iran war and the reopening of the strait are likely to be discussed.
Mr Trump said on Monday that the US would begin efforts to assist ships stranded in Hormuz, though he suspended the initiative a day later after Iran responded by launching drones and missiles at several ships and neighbouring countries, including the United Arab Emirates.
