Three Ships Hit by Projectiles Near Strait of Hormuz as Thai Vessel Catches Fire

Three merchant vessels were struck by unknown projectiles in and around the Strait of Hormuz, with the most serious attack setting a Thailand-flagged bulk carrier ablaze and forcing the evacuation of most of its crew.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed that the Mayuree Naree, a bulk carrier hit approximately 11 nautical miles north of Oman, suffered a fire after being struck. "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. The Thai Navy reported that 20 crew members were rescued by the Omani navy, while efforts remained underway to locate three others. UKMTO later confirmed the fire had been extinguished, adding that there was "no environmental impact" and that necessary crew remained on the vessel.

The two other vessels sustained hull damage but no injuries. The Japan-flagged container ship One Majesty was struck 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates and suffered minor damage; its crew were safe and the vessel was heading to a secure anchorage. The Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Star Gwyneth was hit approximately 50 miles northwest of Dubai. Maritime risk management firm Vanguard confirmed the projectile had damaged the hull and that the crew were safe.

No source provided information on who fired the projectiles. The Thai Navy said the cause of the Mayuree Naree attack was under investigation, and UKMTO described all projectiles as of unknown type. Reuters and other outlets stated explicitly that there was no immediate information on responsibility.

The attacks bring the number of merchant vessels struck since the Iran conflict began to at least 14, according to Reuters. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20% of the world's oil, making it one of the most consequential maritime chokepoints on earth, and traffic through it has dropped sharply since the conflict started.

Peter Aylott, director of policy at the UK Chamber of Shipping, described the scale of disruption in stark terms. "There have been three vessels hit in the last 24 hours, a bulk carrier, a container vessel and a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz," he told Times Radio. He added that what he characterized as indiscriminate attacks had left around 1,000 vessels stranded in the Gulf, including 80 to 90 with British commercial interests.

Adding to the regional picture, US Central Command reported that 16 Iranian mine-laying ships had been eliminated following warnings from President Trump against the placement of mines in the waterway, according to reporting in The Times and The Standard. That claim was not independently linked by other sources to the three projectile strikes.

The fate of the three Mayuree Naree crew members still being sought, the identities of those responsible, and the precise type of weapons used remain unresolved. With traffic through the Strait already severely depressed and the merchant vessel toll climbing, the pressure on global energy supply chains through this corridor is intensifying with each new incident.