One vessel caught fire and crews evacuated after overnight strikes on cargo ships, underscoring mounting threats to global shipping routes amid the Iran war.
Three commercial vessels were struck by projectiles in and around the Strait of Hormuz overnight as Iran ramped up regional attacks, UK maritime officials said on March 11, with one of the strikes sparking a fire that forced most of the crew to abandon ship.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors shipping security in the region, issued multiple alerts describing the incidents and advising vessels to transit with caution while investigations continue.
In one incident early on March 11, UKMTO stated that it received a report from the master of a bulk carrier located about 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), noting that the vessel had been hit by an unknown projectile.
“There is no report of any environmental impact. The crew are reported safe and well,” UKMTO stated in its alert, noting that authorities were investigating the incident.
In a second attack reported later the same morning, a cargo vessel approximately 11 nautical miles north of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile, triggering a fire onboard. UKMTO stated that the vessel requested assistance and that crew members were evacuating the ship as the situation unfolded.
Thailand’s Transport Ministry said on March 11 that 20 crew members from a Thai ship hit in the incident had been rescued by the Omani navy, while three others remained missing. The ministry stated that an explosion at the stern caused a fire in the engine compartment, where the missing crew members had been working.
A third vessel, a container ship operating in the region, also reported being damaged by a suspected projectile, according to a separate advisory issued by UKMTO.
The master of the vessel reported that the ship had sustained damage, although the extent of the damage remained under investigation by the crew, UKMTO stated, noting that all crew members were safe and accounted for.
The incidents are part of a broader escalation in maritime security threats since Iran began targeting regional assets of the United States and its allies in response to the Feb. 28 joint U.S.–Israeli military operation that Washington and Tel Aviv say is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In a summary covering the period from Feb. 28 to March 11, UKMTO stated that it had received 17 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, including 13 attacks and four reports of suspicious activity.
By Tom Ozimek
