A cargo vessel caught fire and its crew evacuated after being struck by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles north of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.

The March 11 strike is the latest in a wave of attacks on commercial shipping since the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran's clerical regime and the country's infrastructure.

UKMTO said it had received 17 reports of incidents affecting vessels in and around the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman between February 28, when the conflict began, and March 11, comprising 13 attack reports and four reports of suspicious activity.

In its warning bulletin 019-26, UKMTO said the fire onboard the stricken vessel had since been extinguished with no environmental impact reported. A skeleton crew remained on board as authorities investigated. Vessels were advised to transit with caution and report suspicious activity.

The incident was one of three cargo ships struck by suspected projectiles off the coast of Iran on the same morning, with Iran retaliating against commercial vessels attempting to transit the strategically vital waterway since US and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28.

A separate UKMTO warning, 018-26, covered a container vessel struck 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE, where a fire also broke out and crew evacuated. The master of that vessel reported damage from a suspected but unknown projectile, with all crew members safe and accounted for.

The US Joint Maritime Information Center now assesses the regional maritime threat as critical, meaning an attack is assessed as almost inevitable, following confirmed missile and projectile strikes on multiple merchant vessels in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches within the previous 24 hours.

Security firm Neptune P2P Group said seven ships had passed through the strait since March 8, of which five were linked to Iranian-associated shipping, with some conducting so-called "dark" transits by switching off their Automatic Identification System transponders.

The US MARAD Maritime Alert 2026-001A remains in force, advising vessels to avoid the wider Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea area where possible and to maintain at least 30 nautical miles separation from US naval units.

Earlier, Marex reported a three-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz would inflict an average current account deterioration of 3.8% of GDP across Persian Gulf states, with Bahrain the most vulnerable and Oman the sole clear beneficiary.