Iran attacked a third commercial vessel within hours on Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. The latest incident involved a ship sailing southbound that was ordered to drop anchor and reportedly sustained damage after being fired upon.

Earlier the same day, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps forces opened fire on another cargo vessel west of Iran, forcing it to stop in the water. Crew members were reported safe and accounted for, with no confirmed damage in that case.

In a separate morning incident, a container ship traveling northeast of Oman was approached by an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboat and fired upon, causing heavy damage to the ship’s bridge. All crew members were reported safe.

Between late February and April 22, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations recorded 35 incidents involving vessels in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, including 22 attack reports and 13 reports of suspicious activity.