Fresh tanker strikes hit Strait of Hormuz as seafarer death toll rises

September 21 ------ ankers are being struck, vessels are being pursued and commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily suppressed as a string of maritime security incidents adds to the risks facing ships operating in the region.

Four incidents reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) between 16 and 18 September include two tankers hit by unknown projectiles, a separate security incident in the Strait and an attempted interception of a tanker by a skiff east of Aden.

The latest reports point to a security environment that remains highly unsettled for merchant shipping, with authorities continuing to investigate the incidents and UKMTO advising vessels to proceed with caution.

On 17 September, a westbound tanker reported being pursued by a skiff approximately 75 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen. The skiff attempted to intercept the vessel, according to UKMTO. Later that day, UKMTO reported another security incident in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The crew were reported safe and no environmental impact had been confirmed. Then came two reports involving tankers struck by unknown projectiles.

In an incident reported on 18 September, a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire onboard. The fire was extinguished and all crew were reported safe. The environmental impact remained unconfirmed. UKMTO also issued a verified, time-late report of an incident that occurred on 16 September, in which a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound from the Strait of Hormuz. Again, the crew were reported safe, although no assessment of damage or environmental impact had yet been reported.

Authorities are investigating the incidents.

Shipping keeps its distance

The latest reports come as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below the 2025 baseline. According to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), IRGC attacks, attempted attacks and harassment activity have persisted, including UAV overflights, targeted surveillance of merchant shipping and occasional VHF hailing.

JMIC said these actions continue to demonstrate Iran’s intent to assert a presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure on transiting vessels.

Independent tracking data showed traffic remaining suppressed, with single-digit numbers of vessels transiting in both directions. US NCAGS data, however, indicated traffic flows averaging nearly 30 vessel transits per day over the preceding 96 hours. Whatever the precise count, the picture is clear, vessel movements through the waterway remain far below normal levels.

The human cost

Behind the vessel movements and security warnings is an increasingly heavy toll on seafarers. The IMO has said it has verified 80 attacks on shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began on 28 February, with at least 22 seafarers killed.

The latest casualty update comes from the Hercules Star. Marine fuel supplier Peninsula has confirmed that the crew member who had been missing since last week’s incident involving the tanker off Dubai has been found deceased. The discovery brings the death toll from the incident to two.

“Following the report of a loss of life during the incident involving the Hercules Star in the early hours of 9th September whilst at anchor off Dubai, we regret to announce that the missing crew member has been found deceased,” Peninsula said in a statement.

The company said the crew member’s family had been informed and that it would continue to provide support and condolences.

All other crew members have now been repatriated, Peninsula said. The company had previously confirmed that one person had died and another was missing following the incident involving the oil products tanker, which Peninsula had chartered from sister company Hercules Tanker Management.

As more security incidents are reported, the risks are being felt not only in the number of vessels choosing to transit the region, but also by the crews working aboard those that do.

Source: safety4sea.com