A container ship has reported being struck by an “unknown projectile” while transiting eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz, in an incident that caused damage to the vessel’s hull and a fire in its engine room, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.
In a warning bulletin labelled **UKMTO Warning 012-26 (ATTACK)**, issued on **4 March** after a report logged at **1109 UTC**, UKMTO said the incident took place around **2 nautical miles north of Oman**, in the approaches to the narrow maritime corridor linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 012-026
— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) March 4, 2026
Click here to view the full warning ⤵️https://t.co/iD9hegaLjx#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/5ekOG7vkR8
UKMTO said the reported impact was **just above the waterline**, damaging hull plating and triggering an **engine room fire**. It added that **no environmental impact had been reported** at the time of the alert, while **authorities were investigating**.
The warning was based on information provided to UKMTO by the vessel’s **Company Security Officer (CSO)**, an initial reporting channel used by ship operators and security teams to flag incidents to maritime authorities and other commercial traffic. UKMTO did not identify the vessel by name, flag or operator in the warning, and the nature of the projectile was not specified.
UKMTO advised ships in the area to **transit with caution** and to **report suspicious activity**, a standard precaution in a region where commercial vessels often rely on rapid, shared reporting to manage fast-moving security threats.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically significant shipping routes, carrying a heavy mix of container traffic and energy cargoes through a high-traffic chokepoint. Disruption or attacks in and around the strait can have outsized consequences for maritime safety and commercial operations, even when the immediate damage appears contained.
An engine room fire is considered among the most serious onboard emergencies, as it can affect propulsion and electrical systems and raise the risk of secondary damage. UKMTO’s warning did not say whether the vessel had lost power, required assistance or diverted towards port, and there was no immediate information in the alert about injuries among crew.
UKMTO’s language did not attribute responsibility for the incident. The description “unknown projectile” can cover a range of possibilities and does not, on its own, indicate the type of weapon used or the origin of the strike.
Further details, including the ship’s identity, the extent of the damage, the status of the engine room fire and any response by coastal or naval authorities, were not available in the initial warning and may emerge in follow-up alerts or official statements.