Three vessels off Iran’s coast have been struck by projectiles, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said on Wednesday, the latest in a flurry of incidents reported in or near the Strait of Hormuz.
One of the ships reported it had been struck 11 nautical miles north of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire onboard and forcing the crew to evacuate, the UKMTO said, without identifying the vessels.
Two other incidents were also reported on Wednesday morning, with one vessel struck by a projectile about 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and another sustaining damage off the coast of the UAE.
The UKMTO urged vessels in the area to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity while authorities continue to investigate.
Thailand’s navy said a Thailand-flagged container ship with 23 people onboard had been attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. Photos showed black smoke billowing from the Mayuree Naree vessel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later said they had fired on the vessel in the waterway, Reuters reported, citing the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
Shipping traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has ground to a near standstill since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated by targeting ships trying to pass through the Strait, with several incidents reported in recent days.
The waterway is a narrow maritime corridor that connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Roughly 20% of global oil and gas typically passes through it.
U.S. forces sank several Iranian ships on Tuesday, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command.
The update followed an earlier announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump that said if Iran had put any mines in the waterway, “we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!”
The UKMTO said it had received 17 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman between Feb. 28, when the war began, and March 11. These include 13 attack reports and four reports of suspicious activity.
“Iran’s rapid and extensive retaliation against shipping and regional energy, port and economic infrastructure has severed a vital artery in global supply chains, as the flow of oil, refined products, LNG and chemicals grinds to a near halt,” Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said Wednesday in a note.
“Additional attacks against ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz overnight underscore that Iran still presents a very real threat to shipping,” he added.
Source: CNBC