At least two container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
UKMTO said it first received a report of an incident 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel reported that it was approached by an Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gun boat “and then fired upon,” causing heavy damage to the vessel’s bridge. All crew were reported safe.
A second incident was reported 8 nautical miles west of Iran, where a master of an outbound cargo ship reported having been fired upon and “is now stopped in the water.” The crew are safe and there is no damage to the vessel, UKMTO says.
“UKMTO is aware of high levels of activity in the SoH area and encourages vessels to report any suspicious activity,” the maritime agency said.
The IRGC has previously said it would shut off the strait until the US blockade was lifted.