VLCC Grit Struck in Engine Room Near Hormuz

A Barbados-flagged VLCC, the Grit, was struck in its engine room by two unknown projectiles in Omani waters on 3 November, marking the fifth confirmed attack on vessels in the region in the first three days of November. The strike occurred at 19:00 hrs UTC, 14 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, according to maritime security firm Vanguard Tech. No crew casualties were reported, and the vessel's current status and the extent of damage remain unknown. Pole Star Global identified the 23-year-old tanker as operated by Yearn Marine, with Guangjie Shipping of Hong Kong listed as the registered owner. The Grit reportedly appears on Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) blacklist of non-compliant vessels. The incident adds to a rapidly growing list of confirmed attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters since the start of November. On 1 November, the offshore tug Selat Storm and tanker Era S were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, while the tanker Largo Atom was hit by two unknown projectiles in the Arabian Gulf. A day later, the Indian-flagged dhow Al Jusufi was struck near Oman, resulting in one crew fatality. The surge in attacks underscores escalating risks to commercial shipping in one of the world's most critical oil transit corridors, amid wider regional tensions linked to the US/Israel-Iran conflict.