LONDON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed late Monday that a tanker had been attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, with the vessel reporting via VHF Channel 16 that it had been struck by an unidentified projectile.

People swim and spend time along the shore of the Strait of Hormuz, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (Photo: AP)

The UKMTO said it had received multiple reports of the incident, which occurred about 8 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman.

An exclusive recording of ship-to-ship radio communications provided to Xinhua by a crew member on Monday night showed that the vessel under attack was a Kuwait-flagged tanker carrying oil and chemicals.

According to the recording, two crew members had sustained minor injuries. Thick smoke was seen coming from the damaged area, while smoke continued to vent from the bunker tank.

The crew said the bunker tank was on fire and the vessel's main engine had been disabled. After failing to cool the bunker tank, they stood by the lifeboats and prepared to abandon ship.

Asked over the radio what had struck the vessel, a crew member said he believed it was a missile because the impact had left a large hole in the vessel.