The conflict involving Iran has increasingly affected maritime operations in and around the Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically transits. Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned vessels passing through the confined waterway they would be targeted. The incidents reported since early March include multiple projectile strikes, fires, evacuations and damage to both tankers and dry cargo vessels. Below is a date-ordered account of reported attacks and impacts.
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March 1 - A crew member was killed when the Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker MKD VYOM was struck by a projectile while sailing off Oman's coast, about 50 nautical miles north of Muscat, according to manager V.Ships. On the same day Gibraltar-flagged oil bunkering tanker Hercules Star - a vessel that supplies fuel to other ships - was hit by a projectile 17 nm northwest of the UAE's Mina Saqr in Ras Al Khaimah; a fire resulting from that strike was extinguished, UKMTO reported. Also on March 1 a Palau-flagged tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz two nautical miles north of Oman's Kumzar; Oman's maritime security centre said the crew of the U.S.-sanctioned Skylight was evacuated.
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March 2 - The U.S.-flagged products tanker Stena Imperative was struck by two projectiles while in the port of Bahrain, producing a fire and leading to the crew evacuating, UKMTO said.
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March 3 - The Marshall Islands crude oil tanker Libra Trader and the Panama-flagged bulker Gold Oak sustained minor damage about 7-10 nm off the UAE port of Fujairah, UKMTO reported.
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March 4 - The Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige was struck by a projectile while en route toward the northern entrance of the Strait, two nautical miles north of Oman. Shipping sources said a fire ignited in the engine room and the crew abandoned the vessel.
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March 5 - The crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe was hit by a blast while at anchor near Iraq's Khor al Zubair port, Sonangol Marine Services, the vessel's U.S. representative company, said. Initial assessments from two Iraqi port security sources indicated an Iranian remote-controlled boat laden with explosives was used in the attack, and that the Bahamas-flagged ship had been damaged.
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March 6 - A tugboat conducting operations alongside Safeen Prestige - the container ship struck on March 4 - was itself hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, six nautical miles north of Oman, UKMTO said.
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March 7 - UKMTO reported, citing an unnamed third party, a possible drone attack 10 nm north of Saudi Arabia's Jubail; the majority of the crew aboard the affected vessel were reported evacuated.
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March 11 - Multiple incidents were reported on this date. The Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was struck by a projectile in the Strait, 11 nm north of Oman; a fire ensued and the crew evacuated, Precious Shipping - the vessel owner based in Bangkok - said in a statement. A Japan-flagged container ship, One Majesty, suffered minor damage after being hit by a projectile 25 nm northwest of the UAE's Ras Al Khaimah. Vanguard, a maritime risk management company, reported the hull of the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Star Gwyneth was damaged after being struck by a projectile 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai; UKMTO said there was no reported environmental impact and the crew were safe. Also on March 11, two fuel tankers - the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Maltese-flagged Zefyros - were attacked in the Gulf near Iraq, prompting Iraqi oil ports to fully halt operations, according to port officials and the state news agency. One port security official said the body of a foreign crew member was recovered from the water.
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March 12 - German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd reported projectile fragments struck the Liberia-flagged container vessel Source Blessing near the Strait of Hormuz. The fire on board was extinguished and all crew members were reported safe; the ship was chartered to Danish shipping group Maersk.
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March 17 - A projectile struck a Kuwait-flagged tanker 23 nm east of the UAE port of Fujairah, causing minor structural damage. Maritime security sources identified the vessel as the liquefied petroleum tanker Gas Al Ahmadiah, which had been at anchor.
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March 19 - UKMTO said a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile 4 nm east of Qatar's Ras Laffan. The report coincided with Iranian aerial strikes that caused extensive damage to the complex, which the account described as the site of the world's largest gas plant. All crew aboard the vessel were reported safe.
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March 22 - An unknown projectile struck a vessel 15 nm north of the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah, UKMTO said; all crew were reported safe.
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March 30 - A fully loaded Kuwaiti crude oil tanker, Al Salmi, was hit at anchorage off Dubai and caught fire, Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said. The company reported hull damage but said the fire was extinguished with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they had targeted a container ship over alleged ties to Israel, Tasnim news agency reported, spelling the name as 'Express Halfong.' Shipping maps showed a Singaporean-flagged HAIPHONG Express container ship at anchorage near the Al Salmi tanker.
These reported incidents span both the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent Gulf waters, and include damage from projectiles, fires, evacuations and at least one fatality. Several attacks prompted temporary port closures or halts to operations, and multiple ship types were affected - crude and product tankers, container ships, bulk carriers, a bunkering tanker, and a tugboat.
Maritime authorities, shipping companies and port officials provided the incident details cited above. Where operators or organizations are named, their statements on damage, evacuations and crew safety are reflected as reported.