Iran Attacks: 3 Ships Targeted in Strait of Hormuz, 1 Sinks – March 2026

Three ships were challenged in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, March 1, 2026, amid ongoing retaliatory actions by Iran against the United States and Israel, according to reports from Indonesian news outlet Kompas.com and UK maritime security sources.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that one vessel, located off the coast of Oman, was struck by an unidentified projectile above the waterline. Initial reports of a fire in the engine room were later revised, with UKMTO stating the fire was contained.

A separate incident involved another ship hit by an unidentified projectile, which ignited a fire. UKMTO confirmed the fire was extinguished and the vessel resumed its voyage. The second vessel was identified by the private maritime security firm Vanguard Tech as a tanker approximately 17 nautical miles northwest of Mina Saqr, in the United Arab Emirates.

UKMTO further reported that another projectile exploded near a third ship roughly 35 nautical miles west of the city of Sharjah, UAE. All crews involved in the incidents were reported safe and unharmed.

Iran’s state television reported that an oil tanker had sunk after being struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. “The fate of the oil tanker that violated the rules and was shot while trying to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz is that it has now sunk,” the state broadcaster announced, displaying footage of thick black smoke rising from a burning vessel. No further details regarding the tanker’s ownership or the origin of the fire were provided.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global energy trade, with approximately one-quarter of the world’s oil supply and one-fifth of liquefied natural gas passing through the waterway.

The incidents occurred a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly closed maritime routes in the area and warned that the region was unsafe due to U.S. And Israeli airstrikes. This action followed a period of heightened tensions, including the positioning of ten U.S. Warships near Iran in late January 2026, according to reports.