Unidentified Attackers Fire Projectiles or Missiles at Thai Cargo Ship Near Strait of Hormuz

A Thailand‑flagged bulk carrier identified as the Mayuree Naree was struck by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, triggering explosions at the stern and in the engine room and igniting a blaze that forced crew to abandon ship.

“A Thai‑flagged bulk carrier was struck by missiles near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, with 20 Thai crew rescued by the Royal Navy of Oman and three still on board, according to the Royal Thai Navy”

Bangkok Post

All 23 crew on board were Thai nationals; twenty were rescued and three remain missing after the attack.

Bangkok Post

The vessel was reportedly en route from Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates to Kandla in India when it was hit about 11 nautical miles north of Oman, according to maritime notices.

The Mayuree Naree was one of three commercial vessels reported hit in the same window of time; the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and multiple maritime agencies said at least three ships were struck.

Reports list attacks across the Strait of Hormuz and the northern Arabian Gulf — including a Japan‑flagged container ship, One Majesty, left with a 10cm hole north of Ras al Khaimah — and other strikes reported northwest of Dubai and west of the UAE.

CNBC

The incidents came within hours of one another and prompted regional maritime warnings.

Rescue and search‑and‑rescue efforts involved regional naval units and coordinated consular work: twenty crew abandoned ship in liferafts and were rescued and taken ashore at Khasab in Oman, while Omani naval units and the Royal Navy of Oman assisted with evacuations and search operations for the three missing seafarers.

“Three vessels have been hit by projectiles of unknown origin in the Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran's coast from that of some of its neighbors in the Gulf, maritime security agencies reported on Wednesday”

El País

Thai authorities said the Thai navy is coordinating through Combined Maritime Forces headquarters in Bahrain, liaising with Thai embassies in Bahrain, the UAE and Oman and working with UKMTO to support ongoing search and rescue for the Mayuree Naree crew.

The vessel’s operator told the Thai stock exchange that the ship was covered by war‑risk insurance.

The strikes came amid heightened regional tensions and marked, according to some notices, the end of a 72‑day pause in maritime hostilities — part of a wider pattern of retaliatory strikes and threats that have disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint that carries roughly 20% of global oil.

Authorities and shipping agencies warned vessels to transit with caution as the nature of the projectiles and the identities of the attackers remained unclear, and the incidents briefly pushed global oil benchmarks higher.

Forbes

The UAE also reported its air‑defence systems responding to further missile and drone activity in the region.