A ship was struck by a projectile and caught fire on board, near the Iranian island of Lavan

A ship was hit on Friday by a projectile of unknown origin approximately 74 kilometers south of the Iranian island of Lavan, causing a fire on board, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO. The incident represents a new alert for commercial shipping in waters near Iran.

UKMTO said on the X platform that the ship was hit while it was about 40 nautical miles from Lavan Island. According to information received by the agency, the crew members are safe. So far, no environmental impact has been reported, and no details have been provided about the ship’s identity, the nature of the projectile or the extent of the damage.

Lavan Island is located approximately 300 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important maritime routes for hydrocarbon shipments. Before the conflict in the Middle East broke out at the end of February, approximately one-fifth of the hydrocarbons transported worldwide passed through the strait.

Since then, Iran has claimed to control the strait and restricted maritime traffic, while the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Authorities have not yet established responsibility for the attack.