Six Ships Attacked In Gulf And Strait Of Hormuz, Iraqi Oil Ports Halt Operations

Six commercial vessels came under attack in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel spread further into major shipping routes.

Two fuel tankers caught fire near Iraqi waters after explosive boats struck them, while four other merchant vessels were hit by projectiles in separate incidents across the region.

The attacks have disrupted shipping activity in one of the world’s most important energy corridors and forced Iraq to halt operations at its oil export ports.

The Strait of Hormuz handles nearly a fifth of global oil shipments, making any disruption in the area a major concern for global energy markets.

Late on Wednesday, two tankers operating near Iraq’s coast were attacked in strikes carried out by explosive-laden boats believed to be linked to Iran. The vessels involved were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Malta-flagged Zefyros.

Both ships had loaded fuel cargo in Iraq and were operating in a ship-to-ship transfer zone inside Iraqi territorial waters when the incident occurred.

According to Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), Safesea Vishnu had been chartered by an Iraqi company working under contract with the state oil agency. Zefyros had taken on condensate cargo from Basra Gas Company.

The blasts caused fires on both ships and rescue operations began shortly afterwards. Iraq’s General Company for Ports of Iraq said a rescue boat recovered 25 crew members from the vessels.

Search teams later recovered the body of one foreign crew member from the water, while efforts continued to locate other missing seafarers. Fires were still burning on the ships during the rescue operation.

Shipping data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows Safesea Vishnu is operated by Safesea Transport Group and owned by Safesea Group.

The tanker Zefyros is operated commercially by UK-based Cygnus Tankers Limited and is linked to the Greek George and Vassilis Michael shipping group as the beneficial owner.

The incidents forced Iraq to suspend operations at its oil export ports, although commercial port activity continued. Iraqi authorities said the move was taken as a precaution after the attacks on tankers operating near the country’s offshore loading areas.

The disruption has added to growing worries about oil supply from the Gulf region. The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Around 20 percent of the world’s oil passes through the narrow waterway each day.

Tensions in the region have risen sharply since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iranian targets on February 28. Shipping activity in the Gulf has slowed significantly since then, while oil prices have climbed to their highest levels since 2022.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that if attacks on Iran continue, they could prevent oil shipments from reaching the United States, Israel and their partners.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Thai-flagged dry bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was hit by two projectiles while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The impact started a fire and caused serious damage in the engine room, according to the ship’s operator, Precious Shipping.

Three crew members were reported missing and were believed to be trapped inside the engine room at the time of the incident. The remaining 20 crew members were evacuated safely and later taken ashore in Oman.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later stated that Iranian fighters had fired on the ship, suggesting a direct engagement by Iranian forces. Earlier attacks in the region had mainly involved drones or missiles.

Several other ships were also damaged in separate incidents across the Gulf.

The Japanese-flagged container vessel ONE Majesty was struck by an unidentified projectile about 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

The ship’s owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and charterer Ocean Network Express said the vessel was anchored at the time. Inspections found minor damage to the hull above the waterline, but the ship remained fully operational.

Another vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Star Gwyneth, was also hit by a projectile about 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai. The impact damaged part of the cargo hold area, though the crew were unharmed and the ship remained stable.

In another report early Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a projectile struck a container ship around 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali in the UAE. The incident caused a small fire on board but all crew members were reported safe.

Shipowners and operators have been asking for naval protection to move safely through the strait. However, sources familiar with the matter said the US Navy has so far declined frequent requests from the shipping industry to provide escorts, citing the high level of risk in the area.

US President Donald Trump said the United States could deploy naval escorts if necessary and warned that Washington would respond strongly if Iran attempted to block oil exports.

Reference: Reuters

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