A projectile struck a vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz on September 12-13, according to an advisory from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. The crew’s condition and the extent of damage remain unclear. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, normally carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day, or about 20% of the world’s supply, through a corridor just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point. The waterway has become a major chokepoint (narrow route vulnerable to disruption) during the conflict involving US and Israeli forces operating against Iran. Drone and missile strikes from Iran, retaliatory US operations targeting Iranian vessels, persistent shipping attacks and attempted truces have done little to restore normal passage. Vessel traffic has fallen to as few as 5 to 10 ships on disrupted days, compared with more than 130 per day before the conflict, while oil flows have at times dropped to roughly 2 million barrels per day, a 90% decline from normal throughput. The incident came days after Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its East-West pipeline following a drone attack attributed to Iranian-backed militias operating from Iraq. The pipeline normally carries 4 million to 5 million barrels of oil per day and is one of the few routes that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz entirely. Brent crude prices surged above $100 per barrel in September 2026 after earlier spikes following attacks in June. Insurance costs for vessels using the strait have also risen sharply since the conflict began, prompting underwriters to reassess risk models after each new advisory from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.