As the war between the United States and Israel and Iran continues, cases of cargo ships being attacked near the Strait of Hormuz and across Middle Eastern waters have occurred one after another. The targeted vessels included cargo ships from Thailand and Japan.
According to Reuters and AFP on the 11th local time, four ships were struck near the Strait of Hormuz that day.
The Mayuri Nari, a cargo ship operated by a Thai transport company, came under an unknown attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. At the time of the strike, 23 crew members were on board; 20 were rescued with help from the Oman Navy. The remaining three are awaiting rescue.
On the same day, the One Majesty, a cargo ship operated by a Japanese shipping company in the Strait of Hormuz, was also hit by an unidentified projectile and damaged. The Star Guinness, registered in the Marshall Islands, was attacked northwest of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), damaging its hull.
Reuters, citing Iran's Tasnim News Agency, reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed it attacked the Thai-flagged Mayuri Nari in the Strait of Hormuz. Including the vessels struck that day, the number of ships attacked near the Strait of Hormuz since the war began has risen to at least 15.
Iran is reported to be laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. A mine is a bomb installed underwater to destroy ships. According to CBS, Iran's stockpile of mines is estimated at 2,000 to 6,000, most of them domestically produced or imported from China and Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran's mines and said, "We are also thinking about seizing the Strait of Hormuz." After striking vessels laying mines, Trump said, "We report that we struck and completely destroyed 10 mine-laying boats or ships."
Iran threatened that no cargo ship carrying oil would be allowed to pass. Khatam al-Anbiya, Iran's central operations command, said on state TV that day, "Any ship belonging to the United States and Israel and their allies, or carrying those countries' oil cargo, will be considered a legitimate target," adding, "Since oil prices depend on regional security that you have destabilized, be ready for $200 per barrel."