At least three ships have been attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran continues to launch strikes across the Middle East in response to an ongoing attack against it by the US and Israel.
Two vessels have been struck, and an “unknown projectile” was reported to have “exploded in very close proximity” to a third, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said.
Iran has warned ships not to pass through the strait, which carries about 20% of the world’s oil and gas.
International shipping has almost come to a standstill at the strait’s entrance, with fears of disruption already pushing up global oil prices.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said three tankers from the UK and US had been “struck by missiles and are burning”. The UK and the US have not commented.
The UKMTO said “multiple security incidents” had been reported across the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and it has advised ships to “transit with caution”.
At least 150 tankers have dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz, although a handful of Iranian and Chinese vessels have passed through today, according to ship-tracking platform Kpler.
“Because of Iran’s threats, the strait is effectively closed,” Homayoun Falakshahi from Kpler told BBC News.
“The vessels have taken a precautionary measure not to enter as the risks are too high and their insurance costs have sky-rocketed.”
He said the US would likely try to protect shipping routes which, if effective, would prevent an oil price spike, but if the strait remained shut for a long period prices could go “much, much higher”.
The UKMTO said two vessels, which it did not identify, were hit by unknown projectiles, causing fires.
And an unknown project “exploded in very close proximity” to a third, it said, adding the crew of the ship, which it also did not identify, were safe and well.
A fourth incident in the area was also reported to the UKMTO, which it said involved the evacuation of the crew, but the cause is unclear.
Private maritime security company Vanguard Tech said incidents had been reported – which match the details provided by the UKMTO – involving ships flagged to Gibraltar, Palau, Marshall Islands, and Liberia.
