IRGC mines and suicide boats attack commercial shipping in Strait of Hormuz — 2 sailors killed, 3 vessels damaged

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The IRGC Navy conducted coordinated attacks on commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz using remotely detonated naval mines and fast-attack suicide boats. Three commercial vessels were damaged — a Greek-flagged tanker MV Artemis Star, a Singapore-flagged container ship, and a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier. Two Indonesian sailors were killed and eight others wounded aboard the MV Artemis Star when a contact mine detonated alongside the hull, ripping open a 4-meter section. The container ship and bulk carrier each sustained damage from fast-attack boat fire and had to be escorted to Fujairah by US Navy escorts. The attacks brought Strait of Hormuz traffic to a temporary halt as the US Fifth Fleet issued emergency navigation warnings and deployed additional minesweepers. CENTCOM stated over 30 Iranian mine-laying vessels had been destroyed since the start of the war, but Iran continued dispersed seeding operations using small civilian-looking boats. Brent crude prices spiked 6.3% on news of the attacks, reaching $147 per barrel. Lloyd's Market Association declared the Strait of Hormuz a war risk zone, dramatically increasing shipping insurance costs.