Iran says it attacked 2 foreign ships in the Strait of Hormuz as Gulf conflict escalates
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it attacked two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, March 11, after the vessels allegedly ignored warnings from Iranian forces.
According to a statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, the Thai-flagged bulk carrier “Mayuree Naree” was fired upon after “disregarding warnings and insistently attempting to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”
A second vessel, the Liberian-flagged “Express Rome,” was also struck by Iranian projectiles earlier in the day after ignoring warnings from the IRGC Navy, the report said.
Shipping data from maritime analytics provider Marine Traffic indicated that both vessels were present in the Strait of Hormuz earlier on Wednesday.
Spike in attacks on commercial vessels
The reported incidents come amid a growing number of maritime attacks in the region since the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States and Israel.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), at least 13 attacks on vessels have been recorded in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory operations began on February 28.
Three of those incidents occurred on Wednesday alone, UKMTO said.
Tehran threatens to block oil shipments
Earlier in the day, a spokesperson for Tehran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters warned that Iran would not allow oil shipments benefiting the United States or Israel to pass through the strategic waterway.
“Iran will never allow even a single liter of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz for the benefit of the United States... or their partners,” the spokesperson said.
The statement added that any vessel or oil cargo linked to the United States, Israel, or their allies would be considered a legitimate target.
“We will pursue a policy of strike after strike until you are fully punished and regret your actions,” it said.
Oil prices rebound amid supply concerns
Oil prices rebounded on Wednesday as fears of prolonged supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz outweighed reports of a potential record release of emergency oil reserves.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose about 4% to above $91 per barrel, recovering from earlier losses. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US benchmark, gained roughly 4.5% to around $87 per barrel.
The recovery followed a sharp decline on Tuesday, suggesting traders remained skeptical that a large-scale release of oil reserves would be able to fully offset the supply shock caused by the escalating conflict.
IEA considering massive reserve release
Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported that the International Energy Agency (IEA) is considering a proposal to release up to 400 million barrels of oil from strategic petroleum reserves held by various countries.
If approved, the move would exceed the 182 million barrels released in 2022 after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Group of Seven (G7) nations are expected to decide on the proposal on Wednesday, according to the Journal, citing officials. The IEA has not yet publicly commented on the reports.
