A CREW member was killed when a projectile hit a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker on Monday, March 2, as the vessel passed through the coast of Oman at the height of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The yet to be identified seafarer was in the engine room of MKD VYOM when it caught fire after being struck by a suspected projectile.
On March 1, another oil tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Malta-flagged Skylight was reportedly anchored in Oman’s Musandam Governorate since Feb. 22.
Four seafarers were injured in the attack and were transferred ashore for medical treatment. There were 20 crew members, including 15 Indians and five Iranians, on the ship.
While certain media reports have referred to the vessel as being registered under the flag of Palau, the Palau State Registry (PSR) clarifies that the vessel was removed from the Palau registry in January 2026 in accordance with the Registry’s established compliance procedures and applicable regulatory requirements.
Reports revealed that Skylight and its manager Red Sea Ship Management was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2025, accusing its owner and manager of operating a “shadow fleet” to transport Iranian petroleum products in the Gulf.
Shadow fleet is a clandestine network of vessels that is operated by a group or country who evade sanctions.
Strait of Hormuz shuts down
On the same day that Skylight was attacked, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed to international navigation and warned vessels to stay away.
The Islamic Republic has shut the Strait after a day of missile strikes rocking the oil-rich Gulf region.
“By 1930 UTC, the Strait of Hormuz area showed an approximately 40-percent to 50-percent drop compared with earlier in the day, with vessels funneling toward the exit, suggesting that ships are racing to exit the area,” S&P Global Commodities at Sea analysts said in a report on Feb. 28.
“Hormuz risk is not only about closure but also fleet productivity. If Iran escalates by seizing tankers or using drones to threaten commercial traffic, voyage times and possibly costs for Middle East oil exports would further increase,” they added.
In addition, the Suez Canal has been suspended until further notice, with vessels rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope.
The announcement of closure was immediately regarded by shipping giants.
German container-shipping group Hapag-Lloyd has already suspended all vessel transits in the waterway until further notice.
French shipping group CMA-CGM said it instructed its vessels within and entering the Gulf to take shelter.
Danish container shipping company Maersk said it is also halting passage through the Suez Canal and the narrow Strait of Hormuz for “safety” reasons.
Swiss shipping company MSC told its vessels in the Gulf “to proceed to designated safe shelter areas until further notice.”
Roughly 20 percent of global oil passes through the Strait, accounting for nearly a third of the world’s seaborne oil trade. This makes the Strait the most critical energy chokepoint.
Global, local maritime community rush to keep seafarers safe amid strikes
As people looked at the skies, alerted for incoming missiles, the global maritime community is watching the waters.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the acts of violence against vessels and urged shipping companies to exercise maximum caution.
“Where possible, vessels should avoid transiting the affected region until conditions improve. The seafarers’ safety and welfare are our highest priority, and the IMO will continue working closely with member states and partners to support safe navigation and to uphold the principle that civilian mariners must not be harmed,” he said.
In the Philippines, being the world’s leading supplier of seafarers on the global fleet, the government along with licensed manning agencies (LMAs) have been scrambling to protect Filipino seafarers and other overseas Filipino workers who are now trapped in war-torn Iran.
In an official statement, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the government continues to monitor and assess the situation of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East. He disclosed that a Filipina caregiver was among the casualties in the war.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) are assigned as lead agencies to cooperate and support national efforts to ensure the protection of Filipino seafarers.
“For Philippine registered ships trading international waters, Marina continuously monitors their movements and locations,” Marina Enforcement Service Director Luisito Delos Santos said.
Meanwhile, the Association of Licensed Manning Agencies (ALMA) Maritime Group is closely monitoring its deployed seafarers in the affected areas and reporting any crew requiring assistance.
“We are also monitoring vessels with Filipino crew transiting high-risk waters and coordinating with principals to ensure their safety. In light of the evolving security situation in parts of the Middle East, agencies are exercising sound discretion while awaiting any escalation of alert levels or issuance of a formal advisory,” lawyer Iris Baguilat, chairman of ALMA Maritime Group, said.
“Our priority remains the protection and welfare of Filipino seafarers,” she added.
