Iran has appeared to claim responsibility for the attack in the Strait of Hormuz on the Thai-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree, which was sailing toward Kandla port in Gujarat.
The Mayuree Naree was one of at least three ships hit in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to Britain’s maritime monitoring agency, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
The attacks highlight the extreme risks that merchant vessels now face navigating the strait, the narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea that carries a fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments.
Alireza Tangsiri, the naval commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps, identified the Mayuree Naree in a social media post, saying it had “ignored the warnings” from Iran and “ended up getting caught.”
The Mayuree Naree was struck off the coast of Oman. The attack “resulted in a fire breaking out in the main engine room,” the Oman News Agency reported.
Three crew members are missing and are feared trapped inside the vessel, which was sailing from the UAE port of Khalifa. Oman’s navy rescued 20 of the 23 crew members. Thailand’s foreign ministry said the ship’s stern was damaged.
Tangsiri said another unidentified ship had also been targeted and issued a stark warning to commercial vessels attempting to enter the strait.
“Any vessel that intends to pass must obtain permission from Iran,” Tangsiri said in his post.
India’s ministry of external affairs condemned the targeting of civilian ships, warning that crews are being caught up in the conflict as it spreads across the Gulf.
“We have seen reports about the attack on a Thai ship, Mayuree Naree, in the Straits of Hormuz on 11 March. The ship was bound for Kandla in India. India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seem to be increasing,” the ministry of external affairs statement added.
“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the ministry concluded.
The other ships that were hit were sailing in the wider Persian Gulf. The Japanese-flagged container ship One Majesty was hit and holed, while the bulk carrier Star Gwyneth suffered minor damage after being struck northwest of Dubai.
Analysts say the attacks suggest Iran has little intention of easing tensions over the passage through the strait. The disruption has become one of Tehran’s most powerful levers in the conflict, sending shockwaves through global markets for oil, LNG and LPG.
Iran armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told Iranian state broadcaster Irib, "We emphasise the security of the Strait of Hormuz and control it, but we will not close it."
India depends heavily on the Middle East for LPG, sourcing more than 90 per cent of its imports from the region, much of it transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
A wide range of other industries are also feeling the strain as supplies of key materials such as polyethylene run short.
Wednesday was believed to be among the most dangerous days for commercial vessels since the war began 12 days ago.
The strait stretches about 167 kilometres and narrows to only about 21 kilometres at its tightest point, forcing ships into confined shipping lanes that make them especially vulnerable during periods of conflict.
The attacks come as Washington says it has already attacked Iranian vessels believed to be attempting to lay mines in the strait. US officials previously said the military had struck 16 such ships near the waterway, while President Donald Trump claimed that “we hit 28 mine ships as of this moment.”
Trump issued a warning to Tehran.
“If for any reason the mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” he wrote on Truth Social.
According to the French news agency AFP, only 12 ships have attempted to cross the strait since Monday as many shipping companies keep their vessels away from the danger zone.
Nine vessels, including three oil tankers and a ship carrying gas, are believed to have crossed the strait since Sunday.
Tracking how many vessels are moving through the region is difficult because ships entering the conflict zone often switch off their tracking systems so their movements cannot be easily followed.
Crews willing to sail through the war zone are reportedly receiving four to five times their normal wages because of the danger.
Earlier this month, two Indian ships, the Pushpak and the Parimal, managed to pass through the strait. At the time, many observers believed Iran might overlook vessels from neutral countries such as India. The latest attacks suggest that assumption may no longer hold.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations says it has received reports of 13 attacks on ships since the war began on February 28.
With tankers unable to move safely through the Strait of Hormuz, India has been scrambling to replace the crude it normally buys from Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
India has rushed to secure 30 million barrels of Russian crude after Washington granted a temporary waiver allowing the purchases.
Major refiners, including IndianOil and Reliance Industries, have turned to the spot market to secure Russian cargoes. Instead of the deep discounts that once made Russian oil attractive, buyers are now paying premiums of between $2 and $8 a barrel above the Brent crude benchmark.
The rush to secure crude oil is only one part of a wider energy squeeze across India.
To manage the shortage, the government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to introduce a priority system for natural gas supplies.
Households and essential services will continue receiving their normal supply, including piped natural gas for homes, compressed natural gas used by buses and taxis, gas used to produce LPG and the fuel required to keep the country’s pipeline network operating.
Fertiliser plants will receive about 70 per cent of their usual supply, while industrial users and commercial customers will receive roughly 80 per cent. Oil refineries are expected to cut gas use to about 65 per cent of normal consumption as supplies are redirected to higher priority sectors.
Authorities have also ordered refiners to increase domestic LPG production and build emergency reserves.