Two Ships Attacked Near Strait of Hormuz Amid US-Iran Strikes

Two shipping incidents occurred near the Strait of Hormuz on July 20, 2026, coinciding with escalating military strikes between the United States and Iran. The British military and United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a commercial vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile approximately 17 nautical miles east of Dibba, near the Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates. The strike caused damage to the vessel's steering gear.

Earlier that day, another vessel caught fire approximately eight nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that two oil tankers exploded and became immobilized after using an unsafe southern route, although the organization provided no evidence or the identities of the vessels.

These incidents have significantly disrupted maritime traffic through the strategic energy chokepoint. LSEG data indicated that transits dropped to four vessels on Sunday, while S&P Global Commodity Insights reported that no LNG tankers have transited the strait since Thursday.