The Panamanian-flagged dry bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was attacked and engulfed in flames in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday the 11th. [Yonhap News]

Maritime security and risk management firms in the United States announced on Wednesday (local time) that four more ships were hit by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. This brings the total number of ships attacked in the region since the launch of Operation Epic Fury to at least 15.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has warned that all vessels transiting the strait will be targeted. Shipping traffic through the narrow strait has come to a near standstill since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28.

President Donald Trump has threatened to escalate U.S. attacks against Iran if Tehran continues to disrupt passage through the strait.

The Revolutionary Guard Corps stated in a statement that they had struck the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Express Rum, owned by an Israeli company, earlier that day, bringing the vessel to a halt. They claimed the ship was operating in defiance of warnings from the IRGC Navy.

Additionally, on Wednesday morning, the Japanese-flagged container ship One Majesty was lightly damaged by an unidentified projectile 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, according to two maritime security firms.

Another attacked vessel was identified as a bulk carrier attacked 50 nautical miles (approximately 92.6 km) northwest of Dubai, UAE. According to maritime risk management firm Vanguard, the vessel was the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Guinevere, which sustained hull damage but its crew was reported to be safe.

The Panamanian-flagged dry bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was struck by "two projectiles of unknown origin" while sailing through the strait on Wednesday, resulting in a fire and damage to its engine room, according to a statement from its operator, Thai-listed company Precious Shipping.

Precious Shipping stated that "three crew members are missing and are believed to be trapped in the engine room."

The company added, "We are working with the relevant authorities to rescue the three missing crew members," and that the remaining 20 crew members were safely evacuated and arrived in Oman.

Photos provided by the Royal Thai Navy showed smoke billowing from the stern of the vessel.

In a statement released through Tasnim News Agency, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that the vessel had been "attacked by Iranian fighter jets," suggesting this was the first instance of direct intervention by the IRGC, as opposed to previous launches of missiles or drones.

Sources told Reuters that the U.S. Navy has been rejecting requests for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz from the shipping industry on an almost daily basis since the outbreak of hostilities with Iran, citing that the risk of attack is currently too high.

President Trump had previously stated that the U.S. was prepared to provide naval escorts whenever necessary.

In addition, ten ships belonging to the Danish global shipping and logistics giant A.P. Moller-Maersk are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing the company's CEO.

Iran has also laid mines in the strait, but the U.S. has intervened by targeting Iranian mine-laying ships and mine storage facilities. U.S. President Donald Trump had previously stated, "We are also considering seizing control of the Strait of Hormuz."

However, the continuous attacks on civilian merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters by Iran have led to ongoing volatility in international oil prices.

International Brent crude oil prices, which closed at $82.10 per barrel the previous day, turned upward on the 11th, surpassing $87.

By Hong Seong-gu, Chief Correspondent of NNP, USA / Special correspondent for this publication NNP info@newsandpost.com