3 ships attacked Tuesday in Strait of Hormuz

Three ships were attacked Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, the British maritime security agency UKMTO reported Wednesday, according to AFP.

An oil tanker and two other tankers were hit by "projectiles of unknown origin," the agency said, without providing further details. UKMTO initially reported that a methane tanker had been hit, before clarifying in a second statement that the vessel was a tanker.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's hydrocarbons passed before the war, has become a focal point of the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States. Iran has since claimed control of the strait, largely disrupting maritime traffic, while Washington has retaliated by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports.

A lull has been observed in the wider conflict in recent weeks, with the United States not having carried out strikes on Iran since Sept. 1. Ships, however, have continued to come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz.