A Thai-flagged bulk carrier was struck by Iranian missiles near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, leaving the vessel damaged and prompting a rescue operation for its crew, according to the Royal Thai Navy.
The vessel, Mayuree Naree, is operated by Precious Shipping Plc, a SET-listed maritime transport firm. The ship had departed Khalifa Port and was en route to the port of Kandla Port when the incident occurred.
The attack took place at approximately 11:10am Thailand time shortly after the vessel transited the strategic waterway, according to the navy’s Maritime Traffic and Vessel Control Centre.
Officials said two projectiles struck the ship above the waterline, triggering explosions at the stern and in the engine room and sparking a fire on board.
The blasts caused significant damage to the engine room and ignited a blaze inside the vessel. Three crew members were believed to be trapped in the engine room following the attack, the company said.
All 23 crew members on board were Thai nationals. Twenty of them abandoned ship in liferafts and were later rescued by the Royal Navy of Oman and brought safely ashore in Khasab.
Omani naval units were continuing efforts to assist the remaining three crew members still believed to be on board the vessel, the Thai navy said.
“The specific details and cause of the attack are currently under investigation,” it added.
Maritime security agencies reported that the Thai vessel was among three ships struck by projectiles in or near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Sources said the Thai-flagged carrier appeared to have sustained the heaviest damage among the vessels hit.
Iran Claims Responsibility
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later claimed responsibility for two of the attacks.
“The Israeli-owned Express Rome ship, flying the Liberian flag, and the container ship Mayuree Naree, were hit by Iranian projectiles and stopped after ignoring the warnings of the IRGC naval forces,” the Guards said in a statement carried by Iran’s ISNA.
IRGC naval commander Alireza Tangsiri said in a post on X that “any vessel intending to pass must get permission from Iran”.
The incidents come amid rising instability in the region.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints — has slowed significantly following airstrikes by the United States Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces on Iran, which triggered retaliatory actions targeting commercial shipping and regional infrastructure.
According to maritime security firms cited by Reuters, at least 14 vessels have been struck in the region since the Iran-related conflict escalated in late February.
The Royal Thai Navy said it was coordinating rescue and response efforts through the Combined Maritime Forces headquarters in Bahrain.
Authorities are also liaising with Thai embassies in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, while working with the UK Maritime Trade Operations to support search-and-rescue operations for the crew of the Mayuree Naree.
The navy added that it is cooperating with the Department of Consular Affairs, the Marine Department and the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre to assist all 23 crew members and arrange their safe return to Thailand.
In a filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Wednesday, Precious Shipping said the vessel was covered under war-risk insurance and that the company does not expect the incident to have a material financial impact.
The company also confirmed there was no loss of cargo, as the vessel had been sailing in ballast at the time of the attack.
“The company continues to closely monitor the security situation in high-risk areas and will review its navigational risk management procedures as appropriate,” the statement added.
