Iran Seizes Floating Armory Ship Off UAE Coast and Steers It Toward Territorial Waters

DUBAI — Iranian forces seized a Honduras-flagged vessel operating as a floating armory and began steering it toward Iranian territorial waters on May 14, according to reports from British maritime authorities and maritime risk firms.

The ship, identified as the Hui Chuan, was anchored approximately 38 nautical miles (about 70 kilometers) northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah — a key oil export terminal — in the Gulf of Oman when armed personnel boarded it. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported the vessel was taken by “unauthorized personnel” and is now bound for Iranian waters. Vanguard, a maritime risk management company, confirmed the ship had been functioning as a floating armory that stores weapons for private security teams protecting commercial vessels from piracy.

Floating armories are legal support platforms stationed in high-risk areas such as the Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea. They allow private maritime security companies to embark and disembark weapons without violating port restrictions in various countries. The Hui Chuan had been operating in the region for roughly a month prior to the seizure.

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters during the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire. It followed the sinking of an Indian-flagged cargo ship, the Haji Ali, off the coast of Oman earlier in the week after it was struck by a drone or missile. All 14 crew members were rescued, and India’s foreign ministry described the attack as “unacceptable.”

Iran has not publicly claimed responsibility or released details about the seizure, but maritime tracking and security sources attribute the action to Iranian naval or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces. The move comes as Iran recently announced a new rule permitting Chinese-flagged vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz and as indirect talks continue to stabilize shipping lanes.

The seizure highlights ongoing risks to commercial and support vessels in the region despite the ceasefire. The U.S. maintains its naval blockade of Iranian ports, which has sharply reduced Tehran’s oil exports, while Iran has repeatedly threatened commercial shipping passing through the narrow chokepoint that carries roughly 20 percent of global seaborne oil.

No injuries or immediate escalation beyond the boarding were reported. The incident did not disrupt President Donald Trump’s ongoing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the two leaders discussed the Hormuz situation and broader regional stability.

U.S. Central Command has not issued an immediate statement on the latest seizure. Shipping companies and insurers are monitoring developments closely as the vessel continues toward Iran. The event underscores the precarious nature of maritime security in the Gulf even as diplomatic efforts aim to prevent further incidents.