Tensions escalate as ships attacked in the Strait of Hormuz

Two vessels were attacked Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security agencies said, as Iran pressed a second day of strikes in response to US-Israeli air raids.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said one ship off the coast of Oman was struck by an unknown projectile above the waterline. An initial fire in the engine room was later brought under control. In a separate incident, another vessel was hit by a projectile that caused a fire, which was subsequently extinguished, and the ship intended to continue its voyage.

Private maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said the second vessel, a tanker, was located about 17 nautical miles northwest of Mina Saqr in the United Arab Emirates.

Iranian state television reported that an oil tanker struck while transiting the strait was “sinking,” broadcasting images of thick black smoke rising from the vessel, without providing further details.

The incidents came a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the shipping lane closed, warning it was unsafe due to US and Israeli attacks.

Major shipping companies reacted quickly. Danish giant Maersk announced it was suspending all vessel crossings through the strait until further notice, citing safety concerns. MSC also instructed its ships in the Gulf to proceed to designated safe shelter areas.

The strait is one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints. Nearly a quarter of global seaborne oil supplies and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas transit the narrow waterway, meaning any disruption poses a serious risk to global energy markets and trade.