Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) said on Thursday that unidentified individuals boarded a vessel anchored near the UAE coast and took control of it, directing it towards Iranian waters. No details were released about the ship’s ownership or the identity of those who seized it.

BBC, citing British maritime risk management firm Vanguard, identified the vessel as the Hui Chuan, a Honduras-flagged ship that was reportedly taken into custody by Iranian military personnel.

Ship tracking data indicated the vessel last shared its location approximately 70 kilometres north-east of the UAE port of Fujairah, after which all contact was lost following a security officer’s report that Iranian personnel had boarded the ship.

Vanguard added that the Hui Chuan had been operating as a floating armoury, a vessel carrying stockpiled weapons from which maritime security personnel can draw arms and return them as needed for protection against piracy.

Tracking data showed the ship had been positioned near the north-eastern coasts of Oman and the UAE for approximately one month.

Honduras has not issued any official statement regarding the vessel’s disappearance.

A day before the seizure, an Indian-flagged cargo ship named Haji Ali sank near the coast of Oman.

Indian authorities confirmed the vessel was carrying livestock from Somalia to the UAE city of Sharjah when a fire broke out, causing it to sink. All 14 Indian crew members on board were rescued safely by the Omani Coast Guard.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the targeting of commercial vessels, calling it unacceptable and warning against any action that endangers civilian crew or disrupts freedom of navigation.

However, the statement neither identified the cause of the sinking nor held any party responsible.

No group has claimed responsibility for either incident, leaving both cases shrouded in mystery.

British maritime risk firm Vanguard has suggested the Indian vessel may have been struck by a drone or missile attack, though no official confirmation has been issued.

The incidents occurred while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in India attending the BRICS summit.

During the meeting, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s position that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial shipping, provided vessels cooperate with the Iranian Navy.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes, carried roughly 20 percent of global daily oil and gas shipments before the outbreak of the current conflict.

Ongoing hostilities and blockades have already disrupted global energy supplies and placed sustained pressure on international markets.

The waterway also featured in talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where both leaders agreed the strait must remain open for the free flow of global energy, according to the White House.