Security risks for merchant shipping in the Middle East intensified this week after a cargo vessel was reportedly struck near the Strait of Hormuz. Several Saudi crude carriers abandoned their planned return through the Red Sea in response to escalating threats.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a cargo ship sent a distress call late on August 3 after an unidentified projectile struck it about 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The vessel suffered damage, but UKMTO did not identify the ship or report casualties.
Maritime security consultancy Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer (IMO 9471630). The consultancy said the projectile hit the engine room, causing a total blackout and a fire in the accommodation block. One crew member, the third engineer, was reported missing while the crew fought the fire.
The attack followed another security incident in the same area about 24 hours earlier. The master of a tanker reported hearing an explosion near the vessel but continued the voyage without damage.
The deteriorating security situation is already changing tanker routes. Reuters reported that six Saudi-flagged VLCCs operated by Bahri turned away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after unloading cargoes in Asia. Instead of returning through the Red Sea, the tankers are sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, adding about 25 days to each voyage.
The rerouting follows the Houthis’ declaration of a maritime embargo on Saudi shipping and a series of claimed attacks on Saudi-linked tankers. London’s marine insurance market has also expanded its high-risk zone in the Red Sea, increasing insurance costs for ships trading to Saudi ports.
Shipowners and charterers now face longer voyages, higher costs and greater uncertainty as security risks continue to grow in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
