10 Ships Attacked in Strait of Hormuz Since Middle East War

Approximately ten vessels sailing in or near the Strait of Hormuz have been attacked since Iran blockaded the strategic waterway in retaliation for combined strikes by the United States and Israel.

The attacks, which have occurred since war broke out on 28 February, have nearly completely halted traffic through the strategic waters, which represent a crucial route for oil and other commodities.

The British maritime security body, UKMTO, according to AFP reporting on Monday, 9 March 2026, has issued ten attack warnings and suspicious activity alerts, though it has released few details about the vessels involved.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) noted on its website on Friday, 7 March, that a total of nine attacks struck vessels in the Strait of Hormuz within one week, including four incidents that killed at least seven people in total.

The IMO stated that at least one person died in each of three ship attacks on the Skylight, MKD Vyom, and Stena Imperative on 2 March. On the same day, the vessel Hercules Star was also attacked in Hormuz waters.

Between 3 March and 5 March, four other ships were attacked: Libra Trader, Gold Oak, Safeen Prestige, and Sonangol Namibe.

Then on 6 March, at least four people died when the ship Mussafah 2 was attacked.

Indonesia announced on Sunday, 8 March, that a vessel matching the characteristics and last position of Mussafah 2 sank two days earlier, though with a different casualty count. Indonesian authorities reported three Indonesian nationals missing, one other Indonesian crew member wounded, and four crew members from other countries saved.

The Strait of Hormuz typically carries 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas. However, according to analysis firm Kpler, which operates the MarineTraffic platform, tanker traffic there declined 90 per cent in one week.

According to MarineTraffic data analysed by AFP on Friday, 6 March, only nine commercial vessels – tankers, cargo ships, and container ships – were detected crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Monday, 2 March, with some vessels periodically masking their positions.

The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC), operated by the Western naval coalition, reported that the “pattern of attacks observed against anchored vessels, adrift vessels, and support ships indicates a campaign focused on creating operational uncertainty and obstructing routine commercial movement, rather than sustained efforts to sink ships.”