Ship catches fire off the coast of Al Faw, Iraq

A ship caught fire approximately 63 nautical miles southeast of the Al Faw peninsula in Iraq on October 26, 2026. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported receiving multiple third-party notifications regarding the incident, which occurred in the northern Persian Gulf near the borders of Kuwait and Iran. At the time of the reports, there was no confirmed information regarding the status of the crew, the extent of the damage to the vessel, or potential environmental impacts.

While UKMTO has officially classified the incident as a fire, other sources, including the maritime intelligence firm Orbital Risk Intelligence and reports cited by Seatrade Maritime, suggest the possibility of an attack. A NASA satellite recorded thermal activity in the area at 09:26 on Monday. However, official authorities have not confirmed whether an attack caused the blaze, and the identity of the vessel remains unknown. UKMTO has issued an advisory to all vessels in the vicinity to exercise extreme caution as the situation remains under observation.