New Warning Follows Containership Attack As Hormuz Remains Closed

A containership transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck this week by an unidentified projectile, ahead of a new stark warning from Iranian military.

The incident occurred approximately 25 nautical miles south of Kish Island. According to UK Maritime Trade Operations, the vessel was only damaged above the waterline and was able to proceed to a nearby port for inspection without injuries to crew.

The attack took place before the announcement of a potential ceasefire, but Iran has since issued a fresh  warning that any vessel crossing the Strait without its permission “will be targeted and destroyed”.

Since the conflict began in late February, the narrow passage has been effectively closed, leaving around 800 vessels stranded north of the crossing point in the Persian Gulf. At the end of March, the United Nations estimated that roughly 20,000 seafarers were stuck onboard ships, facing dwindling supplies and mounting psychological strain.

Although Donald Trump recently announced a ceasefire, maritime traffic has yet to see movement. Around 1,000 vessels were reportedly waiting to transit the Strait yesterday, but only around a dozen or so ships are understood to have successfully crossed – far below the usual daily average of 100 to 150.

Governments around the world, including the UK, have called for the Strait to be fully reopened immediately, without payments having to be paid to Iran for secure safe passage.