On March 11, 2026, the Thailand-flagged cargo ship Mayuri Nari sank in black smoke in the Strait of Hormuz.
reuters
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said on Wednesday that three ships off the coast of Iran had been hit by projectiles, the latest a flurry of events Reported in or near the Strait of Hormuz.
UKMTO said one of the ships it reported crashed in the Strait of Hormuz, 11 nautical miles north of Oman, caught fire and forced the crew to eject., Without identifying the ships.
Two other incidents were also recorded early Wednesday, with one ship hit by a projectile about 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and another damaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The UKMTO urged vessels in the area to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity while authorities continue to investigate.
According to Reuters, Thailand’s navy said the Thailand-flagged container ship with 23 people on board was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In the pictures, black smoke is seen coming out from the Mayuri Nari ship.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later said they had fired on the ship in the waterway, Reuters reported, citing the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Infographic with map of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz showing attacks on commercial vessels at 1200 GMT between 28 February and 11 March
AFP | getty images
Shipping traffic through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz has come to a near halt since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28. Iran has retaliated by targeting ships trying to pass through the strait, with several incidents reported in recent days.
The waterway is a narrow sea corridor that connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. About 20% of global oil and gas typically passes through it.
US forces sank several Iranian ships, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to US Central Command.
The update follows US President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement that if Iran had placed any mines in the waterway, “we want them removed immediately!”
UKMTO said it had received 17 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman between February 28, when the war began, and March 11. These include 13 reports of assault and four reports of suspicious activity.
“Iran’s swift and widespread retaliatory measures against shipping and regional energy, port and economic infrastructure have severed a vital artery in global supply chains, as the flow of oil, refined products, LNG and chemicals has virtually halted,” Torbjorn Soltvedt, chief Middle East analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, said in a note on Wednesday.
“The additional attacks on ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz overnight underscore that Iran still poses a very real threat to shipping,” he said.