On Wednesday morning, two separate commercial vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. The incidents indicate that tensions in the region have risen following recent U.S. interventions against Iranian-linked ships.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a high level of activity around the Strait of Hormuz and called on vessels in the area to immediately report any suspicious activities.

Heavy Damage to the First Vessel's Bridge

In the first incident, the captain of a container ship sailing approximately 15 nautical miles off the Musandam Peninsula reported that a warship belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards was approaching and did not respond to VHF calls. Gunfire opened around 04:00 GMT, resulting in severe damage to the ship's bridge. There were no reports of fire or injuries in the incident.

Gunfire Opened on the Second Vessel

In the second incident, which occurred around 06:40 GMT, the captain of another container ship reported that the vessel was fired upon and had come to a stop in the water. Again, there were no reports of casualties or damage.

AIS Systems and Blockade Claims

Martin Kelly, an analyst at EOS Risk Group, suggested that both attacked vessels were chartered to MSC and were attempting to exit the strait with their AIS systems turned off. Kelly noted that the ships reactivated their AIS systems during the attack.

It has been reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced they would implement a comprehensive blockade in the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. lifts its maritime cordon against Iranian vessels.

It was recorded that U.S. forces seized a container ship named Touska, linked to IRISL from China, and a tanker named Tifani in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday during this process.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye