- An unknown projectile hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
- After being hit by a projectile, a fire broke out on the ship and the crew evacuated.
- The incident took place eleven nautical miles north of Oman.
- Since the beginning of the war, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been almost completely stopped.
- Tehran has allegedly mined the Strait of Hormuz and the strait is effectively closed.
A projectile of unknown origin hit a cargo ship in the area of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz on Wednesdaywhich is adjacent to Iran. The strike caused a fire on the ship, forcing the crew to evacuate, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Organization (UKMTO) said. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
“It was reported that a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by an unknown projectile, causing a fire on board,” UKMTO stated. The organization said in a statement published on its website that the incident occurred 11 nautical miles north of Oman and that the vessel had requested assistance. Details of the flag the ship was flying were not immediately available.
About a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. Since the start of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, which began on Saturday, February 28, with Israeli-American attacks on Iranian territory, traffic through this key strait has been almost completely stopped.
The Strait of Hormuz is currently under the control of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Navy. The Revolutionary Guards had previously warned that they would attack any ship passing through the strait. The strait has been effectively closed since the start of the war and has been described by CNN sources as a “valley of death” due to the risks involved in crossing the area. CNN reported on Wednesday, citing two unnamed sources, that Tehran had allegedly mined the key route.
