The United Arab Emirates said Friday that a Japanese oil tanker was hit by an explosives-laden dinghy in the Persian Gulf in what would be the first attack in the strategic waterway where millions of barrels of oil are transported each day.
The report — which came days after an al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility for attacking the vessel — raised fears about the vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for many petroleum exporting countries.
Sources: UAE: Japanese tanker attacked in Persian Gulf, Japanese oil tanker hit by terrorist bomb, say inspectors, Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Suicide Bombing Attack on Mitsui Oil Tanker.