Hijack call from ship off Iran a false alarm: Security firm Ambrey

A hijack signal sent from a Panama-flagged petroleum products tanker off Iran was a false alarm, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Wednesday.

Ambrey first reported the incident south of the busy Strait of Hormuz shipping lane on Tuesday without naming the vessel. It said it took place some 51 nautical miles northwest of the Iranian port of Bandar-e Jask.

It dubbed the incident a “false hijack distress call” on Wednesday, adding that it “understands that the vessel had previously conducted similar actions.”

Ambrey said it believed the vessel was part of a “shadow fleet” of tankers used by Iran, noting a sister ship was on a sanctions list issued by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

With Reuters