Iran War Shipping Day 12: 3 Ships Hit in Hormuz, IEA 400M Release

The Iran conflict escalated sharply on Day 12, with three commercial vessels attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz in one of the heaviest days of maritime strikes since the war began. The International Energy Agency responded by announcing the largest coordinated release of emergency oil reserves in history—400 million barrels—as export volumes through the strait remain at less than 10 percent of pre-war levels.

For vehicle shippers and logistics planners, today's developments confirm that the disruption is intensifying rather than resolving. As we've covered since the conflict began in our Iran war shipping disruption analysis, the situation continues to create real-world delays, stranded cargo, and climbing costs.

Three Ships Attacked in Strait of Hormuz

According to CNBC, three vessels off Iran's coast have been struck by projectiles on Wednesday, the latest in a flurry of incidents reported in or near the Strait of Hormuz. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported that one of the ships was hit 11 nautical miles north of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire onboard and forcing the crew to evacuate.

Bloomberg reported that the attacks on Wednesday represented one of the heaviest days of attacks since the Iran war began. A cargo vessel called Mayuree Naree was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the Royal Thai Navy said. Star Bulk said its ship Star Gwyneth was also hit, as was a third vessel which is a container ship.

CBS News reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for an attack earlier Wednesday on the Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree off the coast of Oman, saying the vessel had ignored IRGC warnings and tried to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC also claimed to have struck a container ship called the Express Rome, sailing under the flag of Liberia.

Al Jazeera reported that the British military said another vessel, a bulk carrier, was hit by an unknown projectile 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai. The crew are reported safe and authorities are investigating.

According to CNBC, the UKMTO said it had received 17 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman between February 28, when the war began, and March 11. These include 13 attack reports and four reports of suspicious activity.

IEA Announces Largest-Ever Emergency Oil Reserve Release

In response to the crisis, the International Energy Agency announced that its 32 member countries unanimously agreed to make 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves available to the market—the largest such release in the organization's history.

CNBC reported that the IEA did not set out a timeline for when the stocks would hit the market, saying the reserves would be released over a timeframe appropriate to the circumstances of each member country.

Euronews reported that IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said: "The oil market challenges we are facing are unprecedented in scale, therefore I am very glad that IEA member countries have responded with an emergency collective action of unprecedented size. Oil markets are global so the response to major disruptions needs to be global too."

The 400 million barrel release is more than double the 182 million barrels IEA member countries released in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine—the previous largest coordinated action.

According to the official IEA statement: "The conflict in the Middle East that began on 28 February 2026 has impeded oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, with export volumes of crude and refined products currently at less than 10% of pre-conflict levels."

Iran Continues Strikes Across Gulf States

Al Jazeera reported that Iran has fired missiles and drones at targets across the Gulf, including a US base in Kuwait, in what it called its 37th wave of attacks on Day 12 of the war.

NBC News reported that Iran has launched its "most intense operation since the beginning of the war," state media reported, firing some of its most advanced ballistic missiles toward Tel Aviv and Haifa in Israel.

The Dubai Media Office reported that two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, wounding four people. Air traffic is operating as normal.

U.S. Destroys Minelayers Near Strait

NPR reported that the U.S. military said Tuesday it destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came after President Trump warned Iran to "immediately" remove any mines it may have placed in the vital shipping waterway.

"If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before."

Iran Continues Oil Exports to China

CNBC reported that Iran has sent at least 11.7 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, all of which were headed to China, according to vessel-tracking data from TankerTrackers.com.

Three of the six tankers that have departed Iran since February 28 were Iranian-flagged. Many vessels have "gone dark" after Tehran threatened to attack any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway.

While Tehran continues to export to China, shipments of about 1.22 million barrels per day are significantly lower than the 2.16 million barrels per day Iran exported in February before the war began.

Stranded Container Cargo Mounting

According to Sourcing Journal, data from Alphaliner showed 138 container ships with a combined capacity of nearly 470,000 TEUs were stranded in the Persian Gulf as of Monday. MSC and CMA CGM were the most affected carriers, with 15 vessels carrying 109,000 TEUs and 14 ships moving 70,000 TEUs respectively seeking shelter.

According to container tracking platform Vizion, MSC currently has 139,500 TEUs of cargo onboard vessels bound for the Gulf.

Maersk's latest operational update confirmed the company has suspended cargo booking acceptance in and out of UAE, Oman (all ports apart from Salalah), Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail only) until further notice.

Maersk warned customers: "Should we not hear from you regarding your impacted cargo on or before March 21st, we will contact you for termination of voyage."

Oil Prices Volatile on Mixed Signals

Fortune reported that at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time Wednesday, the price of oil sat at $90.96 per barrel using global benchmark Brent—roughly $21 more than at this time last year.

Oil prices have been extremely volatile since the outbreak of the war on February 28. According to CNN, on Monday Brent crude neared $120 a barrel at one point before falling back to around $88 by Tuesday's close after Trump suggested the war could end "very soon."

CNBC reported Tuesday that U.S. crude oil fell 11.94 percent to close at $83.45 per barrel, while Brent crude lost 11.28 percent to settle at $87.80—after Energy Secretary Chris Wright made an erroneous post claiming the Navy had escorted a tanker through Hormuz, which was quickly deleted.

Risk Analyst Assessment

According to CNBC's reporting citing Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft: "Iran's rapid and extensive retaliation against shipping and regional energy, port and economic infrastructure has severed a vital artery in global supply chains, as the flow of oil, refined products, LNG and chemicals grinds to a near halt."

"Additional attacks against ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz overnight underscore that Iran still presents a very real threat to shipping," Soltvedt added.

UN Security Council to Vote on Resolution

Al Jazeera reported that the United Nations Security Council was to vote later Wednesday on a resolution sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) demanding that Iran stop attacking its Arab neighbors.

What This Means for Vehicle Shippers

Today's attacks on three commercial vessels—including a container ship—demonstrate that Iran is actively targeting ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz. This confirms that the maritime risk environment is not improving despite Trump administration statements about the war ending "very soon."

The IEA's historic 400 million barrel reserve release addresses oil price volatility but does not address the fundamental problem: commercial shipping cannot safely transit the Strait of Hormuz, and carrier booking suspensions remain in effect across all major lines.

Container equipment crisis growing: With 138 container ships stranded in the Persian Gulf and nearly 470,000 TEUs of capacity trapped, the knock-on effects on container availability across global networks will intensify in the coming weeks.

Deadline approaching: Maersk has set March 21 as the deadline for cargo owners to respond about impacted cargo before "termination of voyage" procedures begin.

No resumption timeline: Despite political statements about the war ending soon, no carrier has announced a resumption of Hormuz transits, and today's ship attacks suggest maritime risk remains extreme.

Practical Steps for Vehicle Shippers

Do not attempt to book shipments to Persian Gulf destinations. All major carriers have suspended bookings to UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and parts of Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Check the status of any cargo already in transit. If your container is on a vessel stranded in the Persian Gulf or diverted to an alternate port, contact your shipping provider immediately to understand your options before the March 21 deadline.

Understand your cost exposure. Demurrage charges of approximately $150 per day per container, plus end-of-voyage charges of approximately $800 per container, are accruing on stranded cargo.

Evaluate overland alternatives. For cargo that must reach Gulf destinations, overland transportation from ports like Aqaba (Jordan), Salalah (Oman), or through Turkey may be the only viable routing until maritime access resumes.

Plan for extended disruption. With ship attacks continuing and no carrier resumption timeline, assume disruption through at least the end of March and possibly longer.

Disclaimer: This article is provided by West Coast Shipping as general informational content based on publicly available reporting as of March 11, 2026. The situation in the Middle East is developing rapidly and details may change. This is not legal, financial, or customs advice. All shipping routes, carrier policies, port statuses, and cost figures referenced are illustrative and based on publicly available information at the time of writing. Actual conditions, rates, and timelines may differ. Before making any shipping decisions, contact your logistics provider directly for the most current information.

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