TEHRAN: A merchant cargo vessel sailing toward India was struck while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, in one of the most serious incidents involving a commercial ship since tensions escalated in the Gulf following the outbreak of war between Iran and the United States and Israel.
The vessel, identified as the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, had departed from Dubai and was heading toward India’s western coast when it came under fire in the strategic waterway linking the Gulf to the Arabian Sea.
Iranian authorities later confirmed that fighters from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had targeted the ship after it ignored warnings.
Maritime security sources said the vessel was hit by projectiles while sailing near Omani waters in the narrow strait, triggering a fire and causing serious damage to the engine section.
Iran confirms hitting India bound merchant ship in Hormuz strait earlier today
We Indians has to suffer because our Gobi ji is Visionless & surrendered to Trump 😑
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The ship was bound for India’s western coast and was expected to reach Gujarat’s Alang ship-breaking yard, one of the world’s largest dismantling facilities, Zee News reported.
According to AFP, three crew members believed to be trapped aboard had yet to be rescued on Thursday, the vessel’s owner said.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they had struck the Thai-registered Mayuree Naree, as well as a Liberia-flagged vessel, in the strait after the ships ignored warnings.
The Thai vessel was hit on Wednesday morning while transiting the strategic Gulf waterway after departing Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates.
Two projectiles damaged the ship’s engine room and sparked a fire, Thai transport company Precious Shipping said in a statement late Wednesday.
“Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room,” the company said, adding that authorities were working to reach them.
“Unfortunately, that remains the case,” the firm’s managing director Khalid Hashim told AFP on Thursday.
“We still have not been able to get anyone to board our ship, even though the fire has been extinguished,” Hashim said in an email, adding that efforts were ongoing to access the vessel.
The Omani navy rescued 20 sailors from the ship on Wednesday, the Thai navy said.
Thailand’s foreign ministry confirmed that all 23 crew members aboard the vessel were Thai nationals.
All Thai vessels have since left the Strait of Hormuz, and Bangkok has formally protested the attack on commercial shipping, the ministry’s deputy spokesman Panidol Patchimsawat said.
“Please be assured that we are on a mission to find the missing three,” he told reporters.
Images released by maritime authorities showed thick black smoke rising from the cargo ship as rescue boats surrounded the vessel in the busy shipping corridor.
The attack also raised concern in India, as the damaged vessel had been heading toward the country’s Gujarat coast.
“India is going to be hit very hard because of Narendra Modi”, says Professor Marandi at the Tehran University. pic.twitter.com/XtdnKeQZfI
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The incident comes amid heightened military activity in the Gulf following the escalation of conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel since air strikes on Iranian targets on February 28.
Security risks in the Strait of Hormuz — through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes — have grown sharply as shipping companies warn of threats from missiles, drones, and naval mines.
Maritime agencies say several vessels have reported projectile strikes or suspicious explosions in recent weeks, underscoring the fragile security situation in the vital trade route.
Since strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February ignited the wider Middle East conflict, Iran has carried out attacks targeting its regional adversaries and strategic infrastructure.
The escalation has threatened commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes.
Rescue operations began shortly after the strike, with naval units moving to evacuate crew members from the damaged vessel. Authorities said 20 sailors were rescued safely, while three crew members remained missing.
