Cargo Ship Hit by Projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UK Navy Says



By Patrick Sykes

(Bloomberg) -- The UK Navy said a cargo ship had a fire on board after it was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest incident targeting vessels in the key trade chokepoint along Iran’s southern border. 

The unidentified vessel reported being hit with an unknown projectile around 11 nautical miles north of Oman’s coast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said. The ship has asked for assistance and the crew are evacuating, it added.

Traffic through the strait, the vital maritime link that connects the oil-rich Persian Gulf to world markets, has virtually ground to a halt since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran last month, prompting the Islamic Republic to target shipping in the waterway in retaliation.

The UKMTO, which liaises between the navy and merchant shipping, has received reports of at least 10 attacks from Feb. 28 to March 10, according to its website. It said the threat level remains “critical.”

The US has promised naval escorts to secure shipping in the region but hasn’t yet conducted any such operation. The White House on Tuesday refuted a since-deleted social media post by Energy Secretary Chris Wright that said the US Navy successfully escorted a tanker through the strait.