August 2021 Gulf of Oman incident
| Part of the 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis | |
Asphalt Princess in 2010 (whilst still called Thalassa Desgagnes) | |
| Date | 3 August 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location | ~61 NM East of Fujairah, Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 2459.5N 05728.6E |
| Target | Asphalt Princess |
| Property damage | 1 merchant ship damaged |
| Suspects | Iran (alleged by US, British and Israeli officials; denied by Iran) |
On 3 August 2021 the asphalt tanker Asphalt Princess, travelling from Khor Fakkan, the United Arab Emirates, to the Sohar, Oman, was attacked and boarded in the Gulf of Oman. The ship is flagged in Panama. The vessel is owned by Glory International, listed as based in the Emirati free zone.
In early August 2021, the Asphalt Princess was widely reported in the western media as having been hijacked in the Gulf of Oman, 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) east the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. The hijackers were allegedly backed by Iran. Shipping near in the Gulf of Oman were advised to exercise “extreme caution” by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) earlier in the day.
The attack was preceded by three similar maritime incidents in May 2019, June 2019 and July 2021.