Originally published August 12, 2012 at 6:37 PM | Page modified August 12, 2012 at 7:32 PM
U.S. Navy destroyer collides with oil tanker in Gulf
No one was injured in the incident, which occurred near the crowded Strait of Hormuz, that gouged a hole in the side of a Navy destroyer. No spills or leaks have been reported, and officials say the collision was not combat-related.
The Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer was left with a gaping hole on one side after it collided with an oil tanker Sunday just outside the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The collision left a breach about 10 feet by 10 feet in the starboard side of the Porter. No one was injured on either vessel, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.
The collision with the Panamanian-flagged and Japanese-owned bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan happened about 1 a.m. local time. Photos released by the Navy showed workers standing amid twisted metal and other debris hanging down from the hole.
The cause of the incident is under investigation, the Navy said, though the collision was not "combat related." There were no reports of spills or leakages from either the Porter or the Otowasan, the Navy said.
Navy spokesman Greg Raelson said the destroyer now is in port in Jebel Ali, Dubai. "We're just happy there were no injuries," he said.
The Porter is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain.
The Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Gulf, is a crowded waterway where one-fifth of the world's oil is routed. Tensions have risen there over repeated Iranian threats to block tanker traffic in retaliation for tighter sanctions by the West. The sanctions are aimed at persuading Iran to abandon its uranium-enrichment program, so far without success.
The United States recently announced that it will send U.S. Navy minesweepers and warships into the Gulf for exercises.
This is part of a Pentagon buildup in the Gulf with more troops and naval firepower, seeking to rattle Iran and reassure Saudi Arabia and Washington's other Gulf Arab partners worried about Iran's influence and power.
Iranian commanders and political leaders have stepped up threats and defiant statements in recent weeks over the Strait of Hormuz.
While it appears unlikely that Iran is ready to risk trying to close Hormuz — which is jointly controlled with Oman — the comments from Tehran show that Iranian authorities see the strait as perhaps their most valuable asset in brinkmanship over tightening sanctions.
Google+
