CMA CGM vessel attacked in Strait of Hormuz as shipping halted by US-Iran war

PARIS: A CMA CGM container ship was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, injuring crew members and damaging the vessel, the French group said, as the U.S.-Iran conflict left traffic in the crucial oil and trade corridor at a standstill.

The incident, which CMA CGM said occurred on Tuesday, was the latest attack on ships since the war erupted, stranding hundreds of vessels and disrupting 20% of global oil trade.

Washington launched an operation on Monday to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing two U.S.-flagged vessels to exit the Gulf. However, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the effort would be briefly paused amid talks aimed at a broader deal with Iran.

Shipping through the Strait was effectively halted over the past 24 hours, with tracking data showing no vessels transiting the waterway.

READ MORE: Iran says it forced US warship back from Strait of Hormuz, US denies missile strike

Tehran, meanwhile, issued a map of the waterway by expanding a zone it said was subject to its control, its state media reported.

Injured crew getting treatment

CMA CGM said on Wednesday that injured crew from the San Antonio vessel were evacuated and receiving medical treatment, declining further comment.

Eight crew members were wounded, the UN’s International Maritime Organization said, in the 32nd such incident since the war began.

France was not specifically targeted, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said, adding the crew were from the Philippines.

A maritime security source said the ship was struck by an Iranian projectile while attempting a night transit near Oman. It was unclear if it was sailing under the now-paused U.S. escort operation to release stranded ships.

Transits without coordination with Iran at risk

“While a few ships made it out safely while ‘Project Freedom’ was in place, it was clear that transits without coordination with Iran entailed significant risk,” said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer with shipping association BIMCO.

The French firm, the world’s third-largest container shipping line, has indicated that 14 of its vessels were stranded in the Gulf at the start of the war. One ship, the CMA CGM Kribi, exited the Strait of Hormuz at the start of April.

The Maltese-flagged San Antonio’s destination was marked as Mundra in India, according to shipping data.