Three Ships Hit by Projectiles in Middle East, UK Navy Says

The UK Navy said three vessels were hit with suspected projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf on Wednesday, as the conflict in the region continues to menace shipping.

The targets, none of which were identified, include a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman, a container vessel west of Ras Al-Khaimah and a bulk carrier northwest of Dubai, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center said. A fire aboard the cargo ship has been extinguished and there’s no environmental impact at this time, it said. A skeleton crew remains on board.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint including for energy exports, has virtually ground to a halt since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran last month, prompting the Islamic Republic to retaliate with attacks on ships and elsewhere in the region. The near-standstill has forced some of the biggest Gulf producers to lower oil output as storage tanks start to fill.

Before Wednesday’s incidents, the UKMTO, which liaises between the navy and merchant shipping, had 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.

Photograph: A navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world’s oil and gas passes on March 1, 2026. Photo credit: Sahar Al Attar/AFP/Getty Images

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