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Iran Strikes Three Merchant Ships in Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Gulf Tensions

Iran Strikes Three Merchant Ships in Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Gulf Tensions
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Three merchant vessels were struck by projectiles in or near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, intensifying a conflict that has already hit at least 14 commercial ships across the Gulf since late February and choked a fifth of global seaborne oil flows.cnn One of the latest targets, the Thailand‑flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, was left ablaze with three crew members missing and 20 others evacuated, as Iran simultaneously launched what it called its 37th wave of missile and drone strikes across the region.cnn +1

The United Kingdom’s maritime security agency said three ships — including Japan‑flagged container vessel ONE Majesty and Marshall Islands‑flagged bulk carrier Star Gwyneth — suffered damage from “unknown projectiles” near the narrow waterway that connects Gulf oil terminals to global markets.cnn +1 The attacks came a day after the U.S. military said it had struck 16 small Iranian naval boats used for mine‑laying near the strait, as Washington sought to prevent Tehran from further constricting traffic through the world’s most important energy chokepoint.theguardian

Shipping Under Fire and an Oil Lifeline at Risk

The latest incidents underscored how merchant ships have become frontline targets in the 12‑day‑old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran: at least 14 commercial vessels have been hit in the Gulf since the conflict began on February 28, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.cnn Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a trickle or halted entirely at times, effectively disrupting roughly 20 million barrels per day — about 20% of global seaborne oil trade — and prompting major container lines and tanker operators to reroute vessels around Africa.forbes +1

War‑risk insurance premiums for ships entering the Gulf have surged by more than 1,000% in some cases, with brokers reporting hull‑war rates jumping from around 0.25% of a vessel’s value to as high as 3%, sharply raising freight costs.businessinsider Lloyd’s Market Association estimated that around 1,000 vessels, about half of them oil and gas tankers worth more than $25 billion in aggregate, remained in Gulf waters as underwriters cancelled or rewrote coverage.businessinsider “If oil tankers continue to be unable to transit the strait, that will have a serious impact on the global economy,” Saudi Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser warned.aljazeera

Tehran’s Missile Barrages and the Global Diplomatic Split

Iran said Wednesday’s missile and drone launches marked its 37th wave of attacks since the U.S. and Israel began striking its territory, framing its campaign as retaliation and vowing to decide when the war ends.aljazeera +1 Projectiles have targeted U.S. bases, Gulf states and Israeli‑linked assets, while Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to close Hormuz. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was mounting “our most intense day of strikes inside Iran” to degrade its ability to attack shipping and regional allies.nypost

Regional and global powers remained split over how to respond. Saudi Arabia privately warned Tehran that continued attacks on the kingdom could prompt retaliation and potentially the use of Saudi bases by U.S. forces, according to sources cited by Reuters.nytimes China called for an immediate ceasefire and cautioned that the “flames of war” were spreading, while U.S. and European officials signalled readiness to expand naval escorts and defensive operations to keep tankers moving once conditions allow.reuters +1 U.S. officials also accused Russia of quietly providing Iran with targeting intelligence against American forces, raising fears of wider great‑power entanglement.npr

The Bigger Picture

The escalating attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have turned a long‑feared scenario into a live test of how a major energy chokepoint failure reverberates through security, diplomacy and the global economy. With oil output cuts across the Middle East already shaving an estimated 6% off world supply and Brent prices swinging toward triple digits,reuters governments now face twin pressures: containing a regional war that is ensnaring commercial shipping, and stabilizing markets reliant on a corridor where a single strike can ignite both a tanker’s hull and global inflation forecasts.

cnn Reuters, Mar 11, 2026
aljazeera Al Jazeera, Mar 11, 2026
cnbc UK Maritime Trade Operations / multiple outlets
theguardian The New York Times, Mar 10, 2026
forbes Reuters / Vortexa data
reuters Bloomberg, NPR, Time, Mar 2026
businessinsider Reuters, Mar 6, 2026
usni NPR, Mar 10, 2026
nypost NPR, DW, Mar 10–11, 2026
nytimes Reuters, Mar 7, 2026
dw CNN, Al Jazeera, Mar 7–9, 2026
npr Washington Post, Mar 6, 2026