Boxship Operating for Maersk-Hapag Hit by Shrapnel off UAE
While most of the focus has been on tankers or ships attempting to run the gauntlet at the Strait of Hormuz, containerships are also reporting damage as the war in the Persian Gulf widens. It is unclear if it is deliberate targeting of the ships, inaccurate targeting, or collateral damage, but so far, none of the ships has reported significant damage.
The latest incident came early on Thursday morning, March 12, local time in the region. UK Maritime Trade Operations said the master of a containership had reported it was struck by an unknown projectile while it was 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali. The initial report said a damage assessment was being hampered by the darkness and would be completed after sunrise.
Hapag-Lloyd later confirmed in statements to Reuters and The Wall Street Journal that the vessel, Source Blessing (40,478 dwt), had been hit, but it contends it was fragments and not a direct hit on the ship. They reported that a small fire had been extinguished by the crew. Built in 2003 and now owned by a Chinese leasing company, the vessel is on charter to Hapag, which in turn is time chartering the vessel to Maersk for use as part of the Gemini Cooperation. With a capacity of 3,273 TEU, it provides a feeder service in the Gulf to Oman.
The vessel’s proximity to the port of Jebel Ali in the UAE raised the possibility that it was collateral damage during an attack on the port. Iran has targeted the port on several occasions. It is a major transshipment port of the region. DP World, which operates Jebel Ali, asserted to Reuters today, March 12, that the port is fully operational with no infrastructure damage. It said volumes are reduced, but still moving at the port.
It was the seventh ship to report damage in 24 hours. At least 19 commercial ships have reported being attacked since the start of the conflict. Iranian leaders in the past two days had vowed to increase the attacks, and while some statements apologized for attacks on neighboring countries, they also vowed to expand the war, calling more opportunities legitimate targets.
The damage to the Source Blessing was reported just hours after an apparent attack using a speedboat on two tankers in the northern gulf near Iraq. Earlier in the day, there were dramatic images of a Thai-owned bulker on fire after it attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines also confirmed that one of its containerships anchored in the Gulf appeared to have been struck in the early hours on Wednesday, March 11. The vessel, ONE Majesty (6,724 TEU), was reported to have been anchored approximately 25 nautical miles from Ras Al Khaimah. Vanguard Tech says the ship heard an explosion and discovered an approximately 10-centimeter hole in the hull above the waterline.
Separately, Mitsui OSK also confirmed that one of its tankers was struck on March 4 with what it described as “an object which seemingly fell from the sky.” It might have been fragments from one of the many intercepts. The company only said the vessel is anchored in the Gulf of Oman, east of the Strait of Hormuz.
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All the major shipping companies have acknowledged that they have vessels stranded in the region. Maersk told The Wall Street Journal it has 10 ships trapped and that it would take at least a week to 10 days to resume normal operations after a cease-fire. Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Ministry reported that 45 ships connected to Japan are stranded in the region. It said there are 24 Japanese crewmembers aboard five ships.
In his first official statement as the Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and increase the attacks. U.S. Central Command responded by saying it has destroyed more than 90 Iranian vessels and hit over 6,000 targets. It said there is an added emphasis on facilities for mines and minelayer boats. Yesterday, it warned that Iran was using civilian ports for its operations.
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