A 4.4 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 10 km in Khuzestan province, near Ramshir

The Times also quoted British sources as saying that the ship may have been hijacked by Iranian or Iranian-affiliated forces.

A group of eight to nine gunmen entered a tanker in UAE waters, Sky News reported. A security source said they appeared to have hijacked the ship

"The news of a series of security incidents for ships in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is highly suspicious," a spokesman for the Islamic Republic's foreign ministry said in response to the shipwreck incident off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

The Associated Press reports that at least four ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates have warned that they have lost control of their navigation.

A powerful explosion rocked a busy area in Kabul on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing diplomatic bases and government buildings.