The conflict in the Middle East remains intense. Recently, three cargo ships were attacked almost simultaneously in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf. The Thai-registered dry cargo ship "Mayruree Naree" was hit by an unknown object causing a fire at sea, while Iran threatened to close the waters and responded aggressively.
Seatrade Maritime reported that the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office announced three major commercial ship attacks within hours near the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf, as tensions in the Iran war reached a peak.
The dry cargo ship "Mayruree Naree," registered in Thailand and operated by Precious Shipping, headquartered in Bangkok, was struck by an unknown object causing a fire while drifting about 11 nautical miles off the coast of Oman.
Reports state that 20 crew members had to evacuate immediately, while three others remained onboard to manage the situation. The UKMTO confirmed the fire was successfully extinguished, and crew members stayed onboard to monitor the ship while awaiting assistance.
Besides the Thai ship, two other vessels were attacked nearby: the Japanese-flagged container ship "ONE Majesty," operated by Ocean Network Express (ONE), was hit by an unknown object causing a 10-centimeter hole northwest of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. It is now heading to a safe anchorage with all crew safe. The cargo ship "Star Gwyneth," flagged in the Marshall Islands and owned by Greece's Star Bulk, was attacked 50 nautical miles off Dubai. No injuries or environmental impacts have been reported so far.
These latest attacks occurred after the Iran-US-Israel conflict escalated starting on 28 February. Iranian authorities threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil and goods transit routes, and declared they would "burn any ship" attempting to pass through these waters.
Since the conflict began, there have been at least 10 violent incidents against ships in the region, resulting in at least 7 crew deaths and numerous severe injuries.