False Hijack Alarm: Unraveling the Shadow Fleet Mystery

A hijack alert from a Panama-flagged tanker near Iran was declared a false alarm by British maritime security firm Ambrey. The signal, sent from a 'UAE-linked' vessel, was initially reported near the Strait of Hormuz without disclosing the ship's identity.

Ambrey identified the event, about 51 nautical miles from Bandar-e Jask, as a 'false hijack distress call,' revealing prior occurrences of similar actions by the vessel.

Ambrey speculated the vessel is part of a 'shadow fleet' used by Iran, with a sister ship listed under sanctions by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

(With inputs from agencies.)