Dubai: The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported Wednesday that a cargo ship, believed to be of British origin, was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire that forced the crew to evacuate. Hours later, two container vessels sustained damage from suspected projectiles off the United Arab Emirates coast, amid escalating conflict in the Gulf.
“It has been reported that a cargo vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile in the Straits of Hormuz, which has resulted in a fire onboard,” UKMTO said in a statement. The agency added that a container vessel was also damaged in a separate incident.
“The Master of a container vessel has reported that the vessel has sustained damage from a suspected but unknown projectile,” UKMTO noted. All crew members were reported safe, though the full extent of damage remains unclear.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has asserted “complete control” over the strategic waterway, which handles about 20 percent of global oil supplies daily. Data from UKMTO, the International Maritime Organisation and Iranian sources indicate at least 10 oil tankers faced strikes or reported attacks in or near the strait between March 1 and 10.
The IRGC on March 5 announced the strait closed to vessels from the United States, Israel, Europe and their Western allies. On March 10, it offered conditional safe passage to select nations.
The IRGC said only Arab or European countries expelling Israeli and American ambassadors would gain unrestricted transit rights through the vital chokepoint, the sole maritime outlet for Persian Gulf ports.
The latest incidents widen the war in West Asia, where Iran has warned of targeting any vessel attempting passage, leading to multiple tanker hits in recent days. The blockade has disrupted global energy supplies, causing sharp oil price surges.
Tensions trace to February 28 US-Israeli strikes on Iran, codenamed “Epic Fury” by Washington and “Lion’s Roar” by Jerusalem. The attacks killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top officials, amid stalled nuclear talks. Iran retaliated with strikes on US and Israeli military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Azerbaijan.
