MSC Container Ship Damaged in Third Iraq Maritime Attack

A Panama-flagged containership has suffered damage in what appears to be the third reported maritime attack off Iraq since the U.S.-Iran conflict began in late February. The incident has heightened concerns about vessel security in the northern Arabian Gulf, even as international efforts continue to focus on restoring access through the Strait of Hormuz.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported receiving information about an incident involving a cargo ship approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Umm Qasr, Iraq. According to the advisory, the vessel was sailing through the Arabian Gulf when an unidentified projectile struck its starboard side, causing a large explosion.

UKMTO is unaware of any environmental impact at this time,” the advisory said. “Authorities are investigating.”

A subsequent update from UKMTO stated that the vessel sustained a second impact, which sparked a fire that was later extinguished. No injuries among the crew were reported.

Footage shared on social media appears to show extensive damage to the starboard side of the Panama-flagged containership MSC Sariska V. However, the vessel’s operator has not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident.

Maritime analyst and former merchant mariner Sal Mercogliano, who hosts the What’s Going on With Shipping? YouTube channel, said the vessel has effectively remained confined to the Persian Gulf since the conflict erupted on February 28. He noted that MSC has been operating a regional feeder service after security concerns disrupted long-haul shipping routes.

The ship has been trapped in the Persian Gulf since February 28, when the war started,” Mercogliano wrote on social media. “MSC has established an overland service to the Persian Gulf with cargo coming across Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”

Mercogliano added that although the ship appeared heavily loaded with containers, its draft indicated that many of them were likely empty.

The damage, visible above the waterline on the vessel’s starboard side near midship, does not appear consistent with a mine explosion. Instead, it suggests the possibility of an attack involving an uncrewed surface vessel (USV), similar to other incidents reported in the northern Gulf during the conflict.

MSC Sarisky V was struck with what is likely a USV in Iraqi territorial waters after it had completed unloading its cargo at the port of Umm Qasr in southern Iraq,” said Martin Kelly, head of advisory at EOS Risk Group. “MSC remains a target for Iran owing to Israeli affiliation.”

The latest event follows two earlier attacks documented by UKMTO in Iraqi waters. On March 4, a tanker anchored around 30 nautical miles southeast of Mubarak Al Kabeer, Kuwait, reported a large explosion on its port side and later observed a small vessel leaving the area. The ship sustained damage and initially reported a release from a cargo tank, although a later update confirmed the discharge was ballast water.

A week later, on March 11, UKMTO reported that two tankers were hit by unidentified projectiles roughly five nautical miles south of Al Basrah. Fires broke out aboard both vessels, leading to the evacuation of their crews. No injuries or pollution incidents were reported.

The most recent attack underlines increasing security risks in waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

It also comes as shipping industry leaders attending Posidonia in Athens this week warned that any future agreement between the United States and Iran would need to include reliable security assurances before commercial shipping operators would feel confident returning to normal operations in the region.