Ambrey said the cause of the incident, which took place 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the UAE, was not security-related.

The maritime incident unfolded as arch foes Iran and Israel exchanged attacks for a fifth day following Israel’s widescale strikes on Friday aimed at preventing Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

Naval sources have told Reuters that electronic interference with commercial ship navigation systems has surged in recent days around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf, which is having an impact on vessels sailing through the region.

The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.

About a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the strait. Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through the strait daily, according to data from Vortexa.

There was no immediate response to Reuters’ request for comment from the Emirati foreign ministry or Khor Fakkan container terminal early this morning.