Tanker reports explosion while leaving Strait of Hormuz

A tanker transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz reported an explosion at its port-side waterline late Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Friday.

All crew members were safe and accounted for, and the tanker remained under its own power and was continuing its voyage, the agency said.

The incident occurred at 2200 GMT on Thursday, some 16 nautical miles (about 30 km) east of Khasab, Oman, according to a delayed report received from the vessel's master.

Khasab lies on Oman's Musandam Peninsula, along the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz. The advisory did not specify the cause of the explosion or the extent of any damage.

Authorities were investigating, the UKMTO said, advising vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

According to another report released by the UKMTO on the same day, the agency has recorded 155 vessel security incidents linked to the U.S.-Iran conflict within its monitoring area so far this year.

In the same period, the agency issued 166 maritime security warnings and 22 security advisories, said the report.

The U.S. dollar increased in late trading on Friday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, added 0.74 percent to 102.298 at 15:00 (2000 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro fell to 1.1140 dollars from 1.1225 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound dropped to 1.3351 dollars from 1.3459 U.S. dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 158.49 Japanese yen, higher than 157.85 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar advanced to 0.8206 Swiss francs from 0.8165 Swiss francs, and it increased to 1.4132 Canadian dollars from 1.3998 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar was up to 9.8988 Swedish Kronor from 9.7948 Swedish Kronor.