Hormuz Strait Ablaze: Three Ships Hit by Missiles, Iran's Account
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Three vessels were reported as targets of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, 1 March 2026, local time. The incident occurred as Iran launched a second day of strikes in response to ongoing air attacks by the United States and Israel.
The British maritime security body, UKMTO, reported that a ship off the coast of Oman was struck by an unidentified projectile directly above the waterline. The attack initially triggered a fire in the engine room before the situation was eventually brought under control.
“One vessel, off the coast of Oman, was struck by an unidentified projectile above the waterline. Although the engine room was initially reported as on fire, it is now reported that the fire has been brought under control,” UKMTO stated in its official statement, according to AFP.
In a separate incident, a tanker vessel was also reported hit by a projectile strike resulting in a fire at sea. Private maritime security firm Vanguard Tech identified the vessel’s location as approximately 17 nautical miles north-west of Mina Saqr, United Arab Emirates.
“In a separate incident, another vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile causing a fire. The fire has been extinguished and the vessel intends to continue its voyage,” UKMTO added in its statement.
UKMTO subsequently reported a third incident in which a projectile exploded in very close proximity to a vessel. The location of the event was monitored at a position 35 nautical miles west of the city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Authorities stated that all crews of vessels involved in the incidents were safe and in good health. However, Iran’s government television provided a different account regarding the fate of one oil tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“The fate of the illegal oil tanker vessel that was struck whilst attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz illegally is that the vessel is now sinking,” Iran’s government television reported without providing further details.
The television footage showed thick black smoke billowing high from the burning tanker. The Strait of Hormuz is a key transit point for global oil trade, with a quarter of the world’s oil and one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas passing through the route.
On Saturday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards closed the shipping route and issued stern warnings regarding security risks in the region. The closure was implemented citing dangerous conditions resulting from attacks by the United States and Israel, which have even resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.