This handout photo taken on March 11, 2026 and released by the Royal Thai Navy shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier 'Mayuree Naree' near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack. AFP
Oil prices have surged and markets have see-sawed since the ends of last month, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killed its supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into war.
As the war entered its 12th day, all eyes were on the vital sea lane.
A container ship and a bulk carrier were hit off the coast of the UAE, one off Dubai and the other off the northern Emriate of Ras Al Khaimah by unknown projectiles, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
A third Thailand-flagged ship was also hit by a projectile off Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz, which caused a fire that was later extinguished according to the UKMTO.
Later, the Thai navy confirmed that a Thai bulk carrier travelling in the crucial Strait of Hormuz was attacked Wednesday, with 20 crew members rescued so far.
Photos shared by the Royal Thai Navy showed heavy black smoke billowing from the hull and superstructure of the Thai-registered Mayuree Naree, with life rafts floating in the water.
The vessel "was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz" after departing Khalifa port in the United Arab Emirates, the navy said in a statement.
The Omani navy had rescued 20 sailors and "efforts are currently underway to rescue the remaining three crew members", it said.
Analysts say a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20 percent of world oil and gas supplies and a third of its fertiliser for food production, would have a devastating effect on the economy, particularly in Asia and Europe.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said US forces had carried out strikes that destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels that could have been used to attack or deter traffic in the strait, but attacks with drones or missiles continued on Wednesday with at least three ships hit.
"If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before," US President Donald Trump posted on social media.
Trump has said the US Navy could accompany tankers through the strait, but his administration acknowledged that a post by his energy secretary which briefly reassured markets by announcing a first such escort was untrue.
And experts were dubious about whether naval escorts would be enough to reopen Hormuz to trade.
"Any escort mission would likely face persistent threats from Iranian missiles and drones, and the security risks alone could make a single transit through the strait more costly than the profit margin on the oil shipment itself," the Soufan Center think tank said, in a briefing note.
"Experts estimate that Iran's naval mine stockpile sits anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 mines, which would further complicate any naval plan to escort commercial tankers," it said.
The leaders of the G7 powers were to hold a video meeting later in the day to discuss opening their strategic petroleum reserves to counter the rising prices. Ahead of the talks, the group's energy ministers said they "stand ready to take all necessary measures".
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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