The UKMTO has issued a series of reports from the Strait of Hormuz. These were covered widely in the local media at the time.
As well as one vessel being fired on by unknown assailants in one incident, military-style uniforms were sighted in one of the others. The incidents have not been assessed as pirate-related, given their position in the Strait.
UKMTO is also concerned about an incident in the Southern Red Sea/Bab el Mandeb, in which a MV was contacted via VHF by someone claiming to be Coast Guard. They assess that this could easily have been a third party looking for security information on merchant ships and warn all parties to exercise caution.
Key incidents reported: 29 Mar — vessel approached from astern by a white skiff with 3 persons on board and a weapon sighted. The skiff closed to 300m and followed the vessel for 5 minutes. When the armed security team showed their presence the skiff altered course towards the Omani coast.