A US destroyer has collided with a Japanese oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
The collision with oil tanker M/V Otowasan happened at 1am local time and left a gaping hole in the USS Porter.
The US Navy said the incident was not combat related and is under investigation, it added that no-one had been injured.
The statement did not say what damage the tanker had incurred, but there are no reported oil spills.
According to the statement, the USS Porter is in the Persian Gulf on a scheduled deployment and is assigned to the U.S. 5th Fleet. It is conducting maritime security operations.
The Strait of Hormuz is located at the mouth of the Gulf and is used to route one-fifth of the world’s oil.
Iran has recently threatened to block tanker traffic in the region in retaliation for tighter sanctions imposed by the west due to concerns over its nuclear programme.
