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A U.S. sailor on the way to counter mines in the Strait of Hormuz was medically evacuated after getting scratched by a monkey during a stop in Phuket, Thailand, according to officials.
“The sailor received medical care and was transferred back to Japan for further care,” a spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet told Axios, which first reported the incident. “There were no operational impacts.”
“Weird stuff happens,” an unnamed military official added in an interview with the outlet. “This was definitely an unknown unknown.”
The Independent has contacted the 7th Fleet for further details.
The Navy didn’t specify how the incident happened or what type of monkey was involved, though macaques are common in the country and sometimes harm humans.
open image in gallery A U.S. sailor heading to the Strait of Hormuz for anti-mine operations was reportedly evacuated for medical care after being scratched by a monkey in Thailand ( AFP/Getty )
The sailor, reportedly assigned to the USS Chief, was part of a group of about 84 sailors across two ships heading to the strait for mine countermeasures. The hurt service member was taken to Sasebo, Japan, the Chief’s forward base, for further treatment, Axios reports.
Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war, Tehran has laid mines across the vital oil-shipping lane, which has largely remained closed during the conflict.
President Donald Trump said in a social media message on Thursday that U.S. minesweeping vessels “are clearing the Strait right now.”
In the same message, the president said the U.S. Navy had been given orders to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats operating in the strait and laying mines.
U.S. officials say Iran hasn’t kept accurate records of all the mines it has put in the strait since the conflict began in late February.
open image in gallery The Strait of Hormuz remains functionally closed, and the U.S. has said the Navy has orders to “shoot and kill” Iranian mine boats ( IRIB )
It could take up to six months to completely clear mines from the strait, the Defense Department reportedly told Congress recently during a closed-door briefing.
The fate of the strait remains uncertain amid deadlocked negotiations between the warring parties.
President Trump said earlier this week that the U.S. will extend its ceasefire with Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday claimed that the U.S.’s “breach of commitments, blockade and threats” have been the main obstacle to a lasting resolution for the war.
With the strait still shuttered, oil prices have risen dramatically, prompting impacts including higher gas prices and airline carriers canceling flights and raising fares.
An extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz could cause a global recession, regulators have warned.