Five vessels attacked in Gulf, Strait of Hormuz as conflict puts merchant ships on front lines
Iranian explosive-laden boats appear to have attacked two energy tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member on
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Five vessels attacked in Gulf, Strait of Hormuz as conflict puts merchant ships on front lines
Iranian explosive-laden boats appear to have attacked two energy tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member on Wednesday, after projectiles struck three vessels in Gulf waters, stated port, maritime protection and risk firms.
The latest attacks mark an intensification in the dispute between Iran and US-Israeli forces, raising the number of ships struck in the zone since fighting began to at least 16.
Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world's oil, has come to a near-standstill since the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
The ships targeted in late-night armed boat attacks in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Zefyros, which had loaded energy cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi port representatives stated.
“We recovered the body of a external crew member from the water,” one port protection official stated, as Iraqi recovery effort teams continued searching for other missing seafarers. It was not immediately clear which ship the person was linked to.
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