Hong Kong-flagged tanker MT Bockem Marengo attacked by drones near Strait of Hormuz on June 12-13

A Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker, MT Bockem Marengo, carrying Indian crew was hit by a drone attack near the Strait of Hormuz on June 12-13, damaging the vessel. The incident comes as the waterway—previously described as virtually blocked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and compounded by a US naval blockade of Iranian ports—continues to disrupt a route used for around 20% of global crude oil and LNG trade. It was the fourth recent attack on ships with Indian crew, including the MT Settebello incident in which three Indian seafarers were killed. India has activated an emergency response as security conditions along the route deteriorate sharply.