Over the last week, there have been no shortage of theories and often contradictory claims about what caused the damage to the hull and deck house of the MOL tanker M. Star while transiting the Straits of Hormuz. The initial suggestion by a port official in the United Arab Emirates that the ship was hit by a freak wave has been largely discounted. Likewise the claim by an Iranian marine authority that the explosion was do “tank overheating”, does not appear consistent with the damage to the ship. Other theories have included a collision, possibly with a submarine, a grenade and sea mine. Recently there has been speculation that the damage was caused by a waterborne improvised explosive device.
Recently, Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a group associated with Al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for an attack on the ship. Some analysts have expressed skepticism as the group has made questionable claims in the past. The investigation continues.
If the Star was moving at the time I would rule out collision with another vessel, I would expect to see scrape marks in that case, don’t see any.
The black marks on the red portion of the hull are interesting, they would seem to point to an explosion on the outside of the hull.
I was aboard a Trident Seafood ship years ago that had suffered an explosion for inside. I was surprised to see that the steel deck had taken the shape of a sphere as a result of the explosion, much like what is shown in the photo.
The crew reported an explosion, there was damage to the house as well.
Your point about the likelihood of a collision makes perfect sense. There have been a number of collisions with surfacing submarines in the strait. The M.Star was reported to be underway so lack of scrape marks makes a collision seem less likely.
A waterborne IED appears to be a likely candidate. It will be interesting what the investigation turns up.