MSC Containership Damaged in Apparent Attack Off Iraq

A Panama-flagged containership has been damaged in what appears to be the third reported attack off Iraq since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran conflict in late February, raising fresh concerns about security risks for vessels operating in the northern Arabian Gulf even as diplomatic efforts continue to focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident involving a cargo vessel approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Umm Qasr, Iraq.

According to the advisory, the vessel was transiting in the Arabian Gulf when it was struck on its starboard side by an unknown projectile, triggering a large explosion.

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

An update from the organization said a second impact to the vessel has resulted in a fire which has since been extinguished. No report of injuries to crew.

Video circulating on social media appears to show significant damage to the starboard side of the Panama-flagged containership MSC Sariska V, although the vessel’s operator has not publicly commented on the incident.

Maritime analyst and former merchant mariner Sal Mercogliano, creator of the What’s Going on With Shipping? Youtube channel, said the vessel has effectively been trapped inside the Persian Gulf since the conflict began on February 28 and has been operating as part of a regional feeder network established by MSC after deep-sea services were disrupted by the security crisis.

“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.”

He noted that while the vessel appeared heavily laden with containers, its draft suggested many of the boxes were likely empty.

The visible damage, located above the waterline on the starboard side amidships, appears inconsistent with a mine strike and instead points to a possible uncrewed surface vessel (USV) attack, similar to incidents reported elsewhere 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 incident follows two previous attacks reported by UKMTO in Iraqi territorial waters.

On March 4, a tanker anchored approximately 30 nautical miles southeast of Mubarak Al Kabeer, Kuwait, reported a large explosion on its port side followed by the sighting of a small craft departing the area. The vessel sustained damage and initially reported a discharge from a cargo tank, though a later update clarified the release was ballast water.

A week later, on March 11, UKMTO reported that two tankers were struck by unknown projectiles about five nautical miles south of Al Basrah. Fires broke out aboard both vessels, prompting the evacuation of all crew members. No injuries or environmental damage were reported.

The latest incident highlights a growing security concern outside the Strait of Hormuz itself.

The attack also comes as shipping executives gathering this week in Athens for Posidonia warned that any future agreement between the United States and Iran would need to provide credible security guarantees before commercial operators fully return to normal operations in the region.

Editorial Standards · Corrections · About gCaptain

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 105,521 members