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July 12 (Reuters) - The crew of a container ship abandoned their vessel after military authorities reported it had sustained damage to its rear near Oman, causing a fire onboard, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Sunday.

The UKMTO earlier said it had received a report of an incident nine nautical miles (16.7 km) east of Oman.

In an updated advisory, the agency said it had been informed by military authorities and the vessel's security officer that the crew had abandoned the vessel and were currently in a lifeboat, adding that authorities were continuing to investigate.

On Sunday, the U.S. military launched a new round of strikes against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

"A civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant engineroom damage," the U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X.

Iran's IRGC navy said earlier on Sunday that it had struck and halted a vessel that had "jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems" after it, along with other vessels, attempted to transit through an unauthorized route despite warnings to correct its course.