Three merchant ships struck as tensions rise in Hormuz strait amid Iran war

Crew of Thai-registered bulk carrier forced to flee fire, as US says it has destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels Middle East crisis live – latest updates Three merchant ships have been struck in and around the strait of Hormuz, including a Thai registered bulk carrier that caught fire after leaving a port in the UAE, forcing crew members to evacuate for their safety. The Mayuree Naree was struck on Wednesday by “two projectiles of unknown origin”, its owners said, as it sailed about 11 nautical miles north of Oman, marking the end of a four-day lull of attacks in the strategic waterway. A fire broke out in the ship’s engine room and had to be extinguished. Twenty crew members were evacuated by the Omani navy, while a skeleton crew of three remained on the damaged vessel awaiting rescue. The strait has in effect been closed since the beginning of the month after the US and Israeli attack on Iran prompted Tehran to retaliate across the region. Only a handful of vessels are confirmed as having risked making the crossing. About one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes through the strait, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said earlier this week it would not allow even