Three commercial vessels were struck on Wednesday in separate incidents near the Strait of Hormuz, underlining the growing danger to international shipping in one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
Maritime security information reported by BBC Verify identified the ships as the Japan-flagged container vessel One Majesty, the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Star Gwyneth, and the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree.
According to details attributed to maritime security firm Vanguard, One Majesty sustained a hole of about 10cm after being hit approximately 29 miles north of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. The vessel was reported to be proceeding towards safe harbour after the incident. Star Gwyneth was damaged about 57 miles north of Dubai, with its hull reportedly struck by a projectile from an unknown source. Its crew were said to be safe. Mayuree Naree was hit about 12 miles north of Oman, where the impact caused a fire on board.
The most serious of the three incidents appears to have involved Mayuree Naree. The vessel was reportedly struck by two projectiles, causing damage to the engine room. Three crew members were initially reported missing after most of those on board had been evacuated. Maritime reports said that 20 crew members had been rescued, while efforts continued to locate the remaining sailors.
The attacks come amid a wider deterioration in maritime security across the Gulf region. Reuters reported on 11 March that at least 14 ships had been attacked in or near the Gulf area since the current phase of conflict began on 28 February, with commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz sharply reduced. The same reporting said the incidents have involved projectile strikes, drones and other forms of attack, placing merchant shipping increasingly in the line of fire.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical artery for global trade, especially for oil and liquefied natural gas exports from the Gulf. Recent reporting notes that roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply normally transits the route, making any disruption there significant for energy markets, shipping insurers and import-dependent economies in Europe and Asia.
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Shipping industry reporting suggests that merchant traffic through the strait has fallen sharply in recent days. Lloyd’s List reported that transits were down by more than 80 per cent compared with the previous week, as shipowners reassessed risk and some war-risk insurance cover was withdrawn. That decline reflects not only direct attacks on vessels, but also concern over the absence of reliable naval protection and the prospect of further escalation.
So far, the vessels named in Wednesday’s incidents do not appear to have been oil tankers, but the attacks nevertheless reinforce the vulnerability of ordinary commercial traffic moving through or near the Gulf. Container ships and bulk carriers carry industrial materials, manufactured goods and agricultural cargoes, meaning that disruption is not limited to energy supply. Reuters also reported that the broader crisis is beginning to affect humanitarian logistics and supply chains beyond the region.
At the time of writing, no official public attribution had been made for the strikes on One Majesty and Star Gwyneth in the initial incident reporting. By contrast, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack on Mayuree Naree, presenting it as a direct action linked to the current confrontation.
For governments and shipping operators, the latest incidents are likely to sharpen concerns over freedom of navigation in the Gulf and over the adequacy of existing maritime security arrangements. For markets, the immediate issue is whether these attacks remain isolated strikes against individual vessels or become part of a sustained campaign capable of further restricting passage through the strait.
Wednesday’s three attacks do not yet amount to a closure of the Strait of Hormuz in formal terms. However, they show that commercial ships of different flags and cargo types are now operating under direct threat in waters central to global trade. That fact alone is likely to keep freight costs, insurance premiums and geopolitical tensions elevated in the days ahead.
