Cargo ships in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz(Strait of Hormuz). Reuters Yonhap News

It has emerged that a Chinese-owned oil tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the Iran war began.

On the 7th (local time), Reuters, citing the Chinese business outlet Caixin, reported that a Chinese-owned petroleum products carrier was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th.

Caixin reported the previous day that “on the 4th, a large petroleum products carrier owned by a Chinese shipowner was attacked in the offshore waters of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, setting the deck on fire.” The vessel bore markings indicating ‘Chinese owner and crew’. It has not yet been made clear who owns the vessel or whether any crew members were injured.

However, maritime security sources said the vessel is believed to be the ‘JV Innovation’, a Marshall Islands-registered oil·chemical products carrier. The vessel had alerted nearby ships to a deck fire on the 4th.

A source familiar with the matter told Caixin that this is the first case of an attack involving a Chinese vessel since the Strait of Hormuz blockade began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran. With passage through the Strait of Hormuz effectively paralyzed, the revelation of an attack on a Chinese-owned vessel has heightened concerns that disruptions to navigation could be prolonged.

Reuters reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment on the matter made outside business hours.