Vessel hit by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz
Shafaq News- Hormuz
A vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, damaging its engine room and causing a crew casualty, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) stated.
The remaining crew members are being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard. No environmental impact has been reported, while authorities investigate the incident.
20260818 UKMTO WARNING ATTACK 115-26https://t.co/kIIL54QwUP#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/p6tcuufQXA
— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 18, 2026
Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world's oil passes, has remained largely closed under Iranian restrictions since Feb. 28, following the start of the US-Iran war, disrupting regional energy flows. The corridor briefly reopened after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered into force on June 18, but closed again amid renewed military escalation, with Tehran maintaining that the waterway remains under Iranian control.
Vessel-tracking data from Kpler showed 15 ships crossed the strait on Friday, 10 on Saturday, and three made the passage on Sunday, down from 31 at the start of the previous week.
Hormuz traffic falls as risks riseTraffic through the Strait of Hormuz weakened last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5% to 95 and reaching just three on 16 August. Routing also remained constrained, with vessels using the Iranian Unilateral Scheme or undetermined… pic.twitter.com/utCLZR8EeM
— Kpler (@Kpler) August 17, 2026
