Reports: 'Iranian personnel' seize 'armoury' vessel; IRGC 'source' claims Chinese vessels have transited Strait of Hormuz

Reports have claimed that Iran has taken action in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East Gulf after several days of relative quiet. 

UK-based maritime security firm Vanguard Tech has expanded on initial reports of a potential vessel seizure off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Royal Navy-operated United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre received a report from a chief security officer on board a vessel located 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah in the UAE that the vessel "has been taken by unauthorised personnel whilst at anchor and is now bound for Iranian Territorial Waters".

Vanguard posted an update on its communication channels, noting that "further information identifies the vessel as the Honduras-flagged fishery research vessel Hui Chuan" and that the CSO had referred to the vessel as a "floating armoury".

"The Company Security Officer (CSO) reported that the vessel was taken by Iranian personnel while at anchor approximately 38 nm northeast of Fujairah, UAE, at 05:45 UTC. The vessel is reportedly bound for Iranian territorial waters, with the CSO confirming that contact with the vessel has been lost and that the vessel is no longer transmitting on AIS. The CSO further stated that the vessel had been operating as a floating armoury," Vanguard reported.

Vessel details for the ship are unclear, but the Equasis database lists a Honduras-flagged, 754-gt fishing support vessel as having a Marshall Islands-registered owner, SG Navigation. 

Earlier in May, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed, via video and its closely-linked semi-official news agency in Iran, Fars, to have boarded and seized a Marshall Islands-flagged LR1 crude tanker, which Fars referred to as Ocean Koi (now: Jin Li), with apparent ownership links to China.

Equasis lists the vessel’s registered owners and commercial managers as Ocean Kudos Shipping Co, Ltd, with a physical address in Shanghai, China. 

Independent crude cargo tracking firm TankerTrackers has traced the vessel’s movements over the past five years and said it has been operating "with full knowledge of Iran" and routinely loading Iranian crude cargoes.

Chinese vessel transits of the Strait of Hormuz

Separately, Fars has cited "an informed source" and state-backed news agency IRIB’s IRGC navy source in its report on Chinese vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission.

"According to an informed source, with the decision of the Islamic Republic, a number of Chinese ships were allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in compliance with the Iranian management protocol for the strait," Fars said.

"According to this informed source, after follow-up by the Chinese Foreign Minister and the country’s ambassador to Iran, facilitation of the passage of Chinese ships was pursued based on the deep relations between the two countries and the strategic partnership, and it was finally concluded that a number of Chinese ships requested by the country would pass through this area after reaching an understanding about the Iranian management protocols of the strait, and this passage began last night."

The report’s timing matches a trip by US President Trump to China to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The two leaders are expected to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a wide-ranging series of talks.

Exactly how many vessels have transited or are set to transit remains unclear, with Kpler-owned ship tracking service Marine Traffic posting an analysis by its parent company showing six verified transits of the strait on 13 May. All transits moved from West to East, and they included tug, LPG, oil products, general cargo, and crude tanker movements.

"Among the 13 May crossings, one sanctioned vessel was recorded: AUROURA (IMO 9262912), moving West to East in ballast. Other notable commercial movements included YUAN HUA HU (IMO 9723588) and ENEOS ENDEAVOR (IMO 9924091), both laden crude tankers, ATLANTIC HARMONY (IMO 9613812), laden with minor bulks/dry bulk, and XIN MING LONG (IMO 9196450), laden with LPG," the analysis said.