Tanker hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, two crew injured

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, injuring two crew members with minor injuries, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The vessel continued to its next port of call under its own power, and no environmental impact was reported. The UKMTO stated that military authorities informed them a tanker conducting an inbound transit was hit. British security firm Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the UK-flagged tanker La Stephanie and said it was hit by a drone. The incident occurred amid ongoing hostilities between the United States and Iran, which have severely disrupted shipping through the vital waterway. Since the war began on February 28, Iran has asserted control over much of the strait, which in peacetime carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Traffic has fallen sharply, with shipping data showing 17 commodity vessels transited the strait over the weekend, compared with 37 a week earlier. Iranian officials have recently stated their position on the waterway.