Why this list exists
Information about attacks on commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf has been fragmented since the crisis began. The UK Maritime Trade Operations office puts out alerts, but they are often delayed by hours and vague on details. The US 5th Fleet issues statements after significant incidents but does not catalog every encounter. Iran confirms some seizures through state media and denies others. Ship operators, fearing further targeting or insurance complications, often stay silent. The result is a fog of half-confirmed reports and unverified claims.
I have spent the last eight weeks trying to cut through that fog. Working with AIS tracking data from MarineTraffic, incident reports from UKMTO and the International Maritime Bureau, satellite imagery from Planet Labs, and interviews with ship operators, insurance brokers, and naval intelligence sources, I have compiled what I believe is the most complete public record of commercial vessel incidents in the Gulf since February 2026. It is certainly not perfect. There are incidents I have missed, and there are details I cannot confirm. But it is a start, and it is better than the patchwork of rumors that has passed for a timeline until now.
As of May 27, 2026, I have verified 31 incidents involving commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz. Of those, 12 resulted in seizure or forcible diversion to an Iranian port, 9 involved missile or drone strikes, 5 were small-boat boarding attempts, and 5 were mine strikes or suspected mine encounters. Two vessels were sunk. Four crew members have been killed. At least 19 have been injured. Those numbers are likely undercounts.
February: the opening moves
The first incident occurred on February 3, when the MT Silver Wave, a 2009-built product tanker flagged in Panama and managed out of Athens, was intercepted by two IRGC Shahid Nazeri-class fast-attack craft approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah. The Silver Wave was carrying 55,000 metric tons of gasoline blending components from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to Mumbai, India. The IRGC vessels ordered the tanker to change course toward Iranian waters. The master complied. The ship was taken to Bandar Jask, a small port on Iran's southern coast, where it remains as of May 27. The 22 crew members, all Indian nationals, have been allowed limited communication with their families but have not been permitted to leave the vessel. The Indian government has filed a formal protest through diplomatic channels. Iran has not publicly acknowledged the seizure.
On February 14, the MT Horizon Star, a Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker, was struck by missile debris while transiting the central Gulf. The debris, which US Central Command assessed as the remnants of an Iranian Qadir anti-ship cruise missile that had been intercepted by a US Navy SM-3 missile, struck the tanker's port side bridge wing. The impact caused minor structural damage and shattered windows on the bridge, injuring the third officer with flying glass. The Horizon Star continued its transit and discharged its cargo at Sikka, India, on February 22. This incident, though not a deliberate attack on a commercial vessel, highlighted the risk to ships operating in the vicinity of naval engagements.
On February 28, the MT Persian Dawn, a Marshall Islands-flagged Suezmax tanker, was diverted to Bandar Abbas after an IRGC patrol boat boarded it at sea. The boarding party of approximately eight armed personnel remained on the vessel for three days, during which they reportedly inspected cargo documents and interviewed the master and chief engineer. The ship was released on March 2 and allowed to proceed. The crew reported no physical harm but described the experience as intimidating. The IRGC later told Reuters that the boarding was a "routine maritime security inspection." The boarding was not routine under any interpretation of international law.
March: the pace accelerates
March saw eight incidents, more than double February's total. The targets diversified from crude oil tankers to include an LNG carrier, a bulk carrier, and a chemical tanker. The methods expanded from seizure and missile debris to include drone strikes, mine encounters, and small-boat boardings.
On March 5, the MV Golden Blessing, a Singapore-flagged bulk carrier carrying UAE aluminum ingots from Jebel Ali to Rotterdam, was seized by IRGC forces and taken to Bandar Abbas. The seizure was unusual because the Golden Blessing was not carrying oil or gas. Iran provided no explanation for the seizure. Two diplomatic sources told me that Iran may have been seeking leverage in ongoing negotiations with the UAE over a disputed maritime boundary in the Gulf. The ship and its 19 crew members, mostly Filipino and Ukrainian, were released on April 10 after 36 days in captivity. No ransom was publicly reported, but a shipping industry source told me that the vessel's owner paid an unspecified "fine" to Iranian authorities as a condition of release.
On March 8, the MT Arctic Trader, a Norwegian-flagged crude oil tanker, made contact with what the master described as "a submerged object" while transiting the western approach to the strait. The impact tore a 3-meter gash in the hull below the waterline, flooding the forward ballast tank. The vessel was able to maintain stability and proceeded to Fujairah for repairs. Subsequent inspection by a US Navy explosive ordnance disposal team identified metallic fragments consistent with a limpet mine, a type of magnetic mine that attaches to a ship's hull below the waterline. This was the first confirmed mine incident of the crisis.
On March 12, the MT Neptune's Call, a Greek-managed product tanker, was struck by a Shahed-136 drone while anchored in the Khor Fakkan anchorage, approximately 25 nautical miles south of the strait. The drone hit the tanker's accommodation block, starting a fire that was extinguished by the crew. One seafarer, a 28-year-old Filipino able seaman, was killed by the explosion. He was the first commercial seafarer to die in the Gulf crisis. The IRGC denied responsibility, calling the incident "a fabrication." Satellite imagery obtained by HormuzTracker shows the drone launch site on Qeshm Island, 60 kilometers away.
On March 15, the MT Eastern Fortune, a Hong Kong-flagged VLCC, was approached by three IRGC Boghammar boats while transiting the strait. The boats attempted to board the tanker by throwing grappling hooks onto its deck. The master increased speed to 16 knots and altered course, making boarding difficult in the heavy swell. The IRGC boats pursued for 45 minutes before breaking off. The Eastern Fortune sustained minor damage to its railings from the grappling hooks but was otherwise undamaged. The incident was captured on the tanker's bridge CCTV and the footage has been shared with the International Maritime Bureau.
On March 22, the MT Brave Voyager, a Bahamian-flagged chemical tanker carrying methanol from Qatar to South Korea, was struck by a Qader anti-ship cruise missile while transiting the eastern approach to the strait. The missile hit the vessel's stern, destroying the steering gear room and disabling the rudder. The crew abandoned ship into lifeboats and was rescued by a passing container ship, the MV CMA CGM Fortunata. The Brave Voyager drifted for six hours before being taken under tow by a UAE coast guard vessel. It was towed to Fujairah, where it remains. The vessel is likely a constructive total loss. This was the first direct missile strike on a commercial vessel confirmed during the crisis.
On March 29, the MT Global Titan, a Maltese-flagged product tanker, was hit by a Shahed-136 drone while transiting the Gulf of Oman, approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Muscat. The strike caused a fire in the cargo deck area that was extinguished within two hours. Three crew members suffered smoke inhalation. The distance from Iranian territory, over 200 nautical miles, demonstrated the significant range of the Shahed-136 and expanded the threat zone well beyond the immediate vicinity of the strait.
April: the crisis deepens
April brought nine incidents and the first deaths from a deliberate attack. On April 5, the MT Sovereign Light, a UK-flagged crude oil tanker operated by a London-based shipping company, was struck by two Qader missiles while transiting the central Gulf. The first missile hit the accommodation block, killing the master, Captain James Harrington, 54, of Hull, England, and the chief cook, Rajesh Kumar, 38, of Mumbai, India. The second missile struck the engine room, disabling the vessel. The surviving 22 crew members abandoned ship and were rescued by the USS Carney, which was operating in the area. The Sovereign Light burned for 14 hours before sinking in approximately 80 meters of water. It was the first commercial vessel sunk in the Gulf crisis. The UK government described the attack as "an act of state terrorism by Iran." The IRGC denied involvement.
On April 11, the MT Crystal Fortune, a Bermuda-flagged LNG carrier carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas to Japan, was seized and taken to Bandar Abbas. The seizure of an LNG carrier was significant because it represented a direct threat to Qatar's gas export business. The Crystal Fortune was carrying a cargo worth approximately $65 million. The 28 crew members are safe but confined to the vessel. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded the ship's release. As of May 27, it remains in Iranian custody.
On April 14, the MT Iron Monarch, a Liberian-flagged very large ore carrier, struck a floating mine while transiting the western Gulf. The explosion damaged the hull plating in the forward section but did not breach the cargo holds. The vessel proceeded to Jebel Ali under its own power. Photographs of the damage, shared with HormuzTracker by the ship's classification society, show a concave indentation in the hull consistent with a contact mine detonation. The US Navy has increased mine-sweeping operations in the western Gulf since this incident.
May: the toll mounts
May has seen seven incidents in its first 27 days, including the second vessel sunk and the seizure of a tanker attempting an unescorted transit.
On May 3, the MT Valor, a Panamanian-flagged product tanker carrying 50,000 metric tons of diesel from Kuwait to East Africa, struck a mine in the central Gulf. The explosion tore open the hull and ignited the cargo. The fire burned out of control. The 24 crew members abandoned ship. Twenty-two were rescued by a Kuwaiti coast guard vessel. Two, a Bangladeshi able seaman and a Pakistani oiler, are missing and presumed dead. The Valor sank in approximately 60 meters of water. It is the second vessel lost in the crisis and the second time crew members have been killed. The total crew death toll now stands at four.
On May 9, the MT Noble Endeavour, a Greek-flagged Suezmax tanker, was struck by a drone while waiting for a convoy slot in the Fujairah anchorage. The drone, assessed as a Mohajer-6, an Iranian-made unmanned combat aerial vehicle, hit the tanker's superstructure. The warhead detonated on impact, causing significant damage to the bridge and injuring five crew members, two seriously. The Noble Endeavour was not loaded at the time of the attack. It had been waiting at anchor for four days, which suggests the drone operator knew the ship's location and may have specifically targeted it.
On May 19, the MT Helios Grace, a Liberian-flagged product tanker, was intercepted and diverted to Bandar Abbas while attempting an unescorted transit. I described this incident in detail in the convoy operations article. The Helios Grace remains in Iranian custody as of May 27.
What the numbers tell us
The 31 incidents fall into clear patterns. Seizures and diversions, the 12 incidents in which the IRGC took control of a vessel, are concentrated in the strait itself and its immediate approaches. They tend to happen at night or in the early morning, when the IRGC's fast-attack craft have a visual advantage over commercial vessel watchkeepers. The seized vessels are disproportionately flagged in Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands, the so-called flags of convenience that offer limited diplomatic protection. No vessel flagged in the United States, the UK (before the Sovereign Light), France, or any NATO member has been seized, though the Sovereign Light, which was UK-flagged, was destroyed by a missile strike.
Missile and drone strikes, the 9 incidents, have targeted vessels both in transit and at anchor. The strikes are less discriminate than the seizures. A missile launched from Qeshm Island does not care about the flag state of the ship it hits. The two vessels sunk, the Sovereign Light and the Valor, were flying the UK and Panamanian flags respectively. The Sovereign Light was targeted deliberately, US intelligence assesses. The Valor was almost certainly hit by a mine that was not specifically aimed at it. The distinction between deliberate targeting and indiscriminate hazard matters legally but not to the dead.
Mine encounters, 5 incidents so far, are probably undercounted. Floating mines are difficult to detect visually, especially at night or in rough seas. The US Navy has conducted mine-sweeping operations since mid-April and has reportedly neutralized at least 14 mines. How many more remain in the water is unknown. The Iranian government has not acknowledged laying any mines, which is consistent with standard practice. Mine warfare is by its nature deniable. The mines that have been recovered and examined by US Navy EOD teams are consistent with the Chinese-designed EM-52 influence mine, which Iran has produced domestically as the Sadaf-01.
Small-boat boardings, 5 incidents, represent the IRGC testing coalition response times and rules of engagement. Each boarding attempt has been slightly different: grappling hooks on the Eastern Fortune, a ladder approach on the Pacific Crown, a close-approach intimidation run on three other vessels. None of the boarding attempts has succeeded in gaining control of a vessel since March. The convoy escort system has made boarding more difficult, because the escort warships can intervene before the fast-attack craft close with a commercial vessel. But the IRGC continues to probe, and it only takes one successful boarding to create another hostage situation.
Four people are dead. Nineteen are injured. Twelve ships and their crews are being held in Iranian ports. Two ships are on the bottom of the Gulf. The numbers will be higher by the time you read this.