Ship Seized Off UAE Coast Near Strait of Hormuz, UK Maritime Agency Reports

A ship was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning, according to the British military.

The vessel was boarded and taken by unauthorized personnel while about 38 nautical miles northeast of the UAE oil export terminal at Fujairah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported Thursday.

UKMTO said it spotted the ship heading toward Iranian territorial waters following the seizure.

British authorities provided no details on the ship's owner or the identity of those who seized it. The BBC reported that the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan was taken in the Strait on Thursday, despite the absence of official confirmation.

Citing risk-management company Vanguard, the BBC said the ship's operators told Vanguard that the Hui Chuan served as a floating armory for vessels in the Strait to protect against pirates.

At least two other ships have been seized in the Strait of Hormuz since February.

In April, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the Panamanian-flagged MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas in the Strait.

Fox News Digital reached out to UKMTO and Vanguard for more information but received no immediate response.