Early on the 7th (local time), an LNG carrier in the Gulf of Oman near the
Strait of Hormuz sent multiple distress calls after reporting a drone strike to
its port side, a radio recording provided by a merchant seafarer shows. The
vessel reported an engine-room fire and heavy smoke, said it could not further
assess hull damage, and that all crew were safe and mustered on the starboard
side. The ship requested assistance from nearby coastal radio stations and naval
forces. The seafarer said the ship identification in the calls indicates it is
carrying liquefied natural gas; such vessels carry flammable cargo and face
elevated safety risk when attacked.
