'Floating armoury' seized by Iranian military in Gulf of Oman

A vessel reportedly operating as a “floating armoury” in the Gulf of Oman has been seized by Iranian military forces, according to maritime risk management company Vanguard.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the ship is now “bound for Iranian territorial waters.”

The vessel — identified by maritime risk consultancy Vanguard as the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan — was last tracked transmitting its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal on Wednesday, when it was located roughly 70km (about 40 miles) north-east of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, BBC reported.

That position places it just outside the Strait of Hormuz approaches, one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.

AIS data such as this is commonly used in global shipping to broadcast a vessel’s identity, position, course, and speed for collision avoidance and monitoring.

'Spoofing'

However, ships can switch off or "spoof" AIS signals in high-risk waters, meaning tracking gaps are not unusual in contested maritime zones.

Because of their proximity to the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly a fifth of global oil trade passes — this corridor is closely monitored by naval forces and maritime security agencies.

Industry sources describe floating armouries like the Hui Chuan as typically operating in these waters to support private maritime security teams.

Floating armoury

Vanguard said the ship’s operators described it as a floating armoury used to store weapons for private security firms guarding commercial vessels against piracy.

They allow armed guards to embark and disembark while enabling merchant vessels to transit piracy-prone routes without permanently carrying weapons into port jurisdictions with strict arms regulations.

BBC said it could not independently confirm what was on board or who was using the vessel.

Floating armouries are commonly deployed in waters including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Gulf of Oman, allowing armed security teams to transfer weapons and ammunition while escorting merchant shipping through high-risk routes.

The BBC has previously reported on their use in maritime security operations in these regions.