Two more vessels attacked off UAE, Oman- UKMTO

Two more ships seem to have been attacked in the Mideast Gulf, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) today. The UKMTO reported that the incident occurred 137 miles (220 km) east of Muscat, Oman, at 19:50 GMT. The captain of the ship heard a loud explosion nearby, which was followed by smoke in the water. Fortunately, the ship and its crew are safe, and authorities are looking into what happened. The second attack happened seven miles (11 km) east of Fujairah, UAE. A ship was hit by an unknown projectile that damaged its steel plating, as reported by the ship's captain to the UKMTO at 22:40 GMT. There was no fire or flooding, and all crew members are safe. The names of the ships involved remain unknown. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for oil and LNG shipping, has nearly stopped since U.S. and Israeli forces targeted Iran on February 28. Only three tankers were recorded passing through the strait on March 1, a significant drop of 94% from 50 tankers on February 28, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) in its latest update on March 3. On March 2, Iran claimed it had "closed" the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to burn any ships attempting to pass. Iran has a drone carrier ship stationed near the strait, which could be used to attack vessels passing through, as noted by shipbroker BRS. The country also possesses short-, medium-, and long-range missiles that could disrupt shipping in the strait. Since the conflict began, at least five commercial ships have been attacked in the Mideast Gulf, including today's incidents. These attacks occurred in the Gulf of Oman, near Musandam, and in UAE coastal waters, according to the JMIC. As of 10:15 AM Singapore time (02:15 GMT), the Ice front-month May Brent contract was priced at $82.30 per barrel, up by 90 cents from its settlement on March 3, which had already increased by $3.66 per barrel.