Three commercial vessels were struck in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby Gulf waters within the span of a few hours on March 11, underlining the growing danger facing merchant shipping in the region.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a cargo vessel caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by an unidentified projectile approximately 11 nautical miles off Oman. The crew began evacuating the ship and requested assistance. In a later update, the UKMTO said the fire had been extinguished and that a skeleton crew remained on board.
Maritime security company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayruree Naree, owned by Bangkok-based Precious Shipping. The strike reportedly triggered a fire on board. Initial reports indicated that 20 crew members had evacuated, while three remained aboard as rescue efforts continued.
Two additional vessels were also reportedly hit west of the United Arab Emirates.
One of them, a container ship located 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah, sustained damage from a projectile, according to the UKMTO. All crew members were reported safe and accounted for.
Vanguard Tech identified that vessel as the Japanese-flagged ONE Majesty, owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and operated within the Ocean Network Express (ONE) fleet. The ship reportedly suffered a hole of around 10 centimeters and was proceeding toward a safe anchorage.
A third vessel, a bulk carrier located 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, was also struck by an unidentified projectile. The UKMTO said the crew was safe and that there had been no environmental impact.
Vanguard said the ship was the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, part of the fleet operated by Greek owner Star Bulk.
These three incidents occurred after a 72-hour period during which no vessels had been reported struck in connection with the conflict involving Iran.
Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and destroy ships attempting to transit the strategic waterway linking the Gulf to global markets. Since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran began on February 28, at least seven seafarers have been killed and several others seriously injured in 10 separate maritime incidents.
