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Velos Tankers said one of its seafarers was found fatally injured aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Velos Sapphire following an explosion believed to have been caused by a missile. The Athens-based Greek management firm reported the vessel was sailing unladen toward Bahrain when the strike occurred on Thursday, with the crew managing to extinguish the ensuing fire without further casualties or pollution. The company expressed deep sadness over the loss and confirmed the ship had been directed to Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port for further assessment. An investigation into the incident is set to begin once the extent of hull damage is fully evaluated at the port facility. The firm noted that the seafarer had initially been reported missing in the immediate aftermath of the blast before the fatal injury was discovered.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated that two more oil tankers were on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, following Iranian media reports the previous day of five tankers and a tugboat igniting after striking mines in the waterway. The guards claimed the vessels had switched off their navigation systems in an attempt to exit the strait with support from American military forces. These developments form part of heightened maritime tensions since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, 2026, when US and Israeli strikes targeted Iran. The conflict has seen Iran retaliate against regional targets including Gulf states. Shipping through the vital passage has been severely disrupted as a result.
The UKMTO reported that the master of a tanker transiting the strait on Thursday had described an explosion at the waterline on the port side off Oman. However, that vessel’s crew remained safe and the ship continued its voyage under its own power. Maritime security analysts have connected the cluster of incidents to the ongoing regional conflict. This account appears distinct from the Velos Sapphire event though both occurred in the same general area on the same day. Further clarification from involved parties is expected as inquiries advance.
Data from the International Energy Agency indicates that approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, accounting for around 25 percent of global seaborne oil trade. Any sustained disruption to this chokepoint carries significant implications for world energy markets and prices. Several Gulf producers depend almost entirely on the strait for their exports while limited bypass pipelines exist for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The MT Velos Sapphire has now arrived at the Bahraini port where damage evaluation continues ahead of the formal investigation launch. Velos Tankers has pledged full cooperation with authorities examining the attack. No details on the seafarer’s nationality have been released as the company focuses on supporting the crew and the victim’s family. The event underscores the risks faced by commercial vessels in the Gulf amid the conflict. Industry groups continue to monitor similar threats across key shipping lanes.
In the wake of the war’s start, Iran has repeatedly sought to constrain maritime traffic through the strait according to conflict monitoring reports. This latest fatality represents a direct human cost of the escalations that have affected both military and civilian assets in the region. Updates on the probe are anticipated from Bahraini officials in coordination with the vessel’s operators.
