Vessel on fire off Oman's coast: UKMTO

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early Monday that a vessel was on fire off the coast of Oman.

"UKMTO has received a report of an incident 8NM northwest of Kumzar, Oman. UKMTO has received information from a verified source that a vessel is on fire," the statement said.

Noting that the reason for the fire has not been verified yet, the statement urged vessels to transit with "caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO while authorities investigate."

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran in February. Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Gulf nations hosting US assets.

The US and Iran signed a Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding last month to end their conflict and reach a lasting peace agreement, but tensions escalated again last week over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides exchanging attacks.