Three commercial ships were struck around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.

The government-run Oman News Agency said the country’s Marine Security Center received a distress call on Wednesday from a Thai-flagged cargo vessel, the Mayuree Naree, from which it said 20 Thai crew members were evacuated with injuries of varying severity. Shipping traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has ground to a near standstill since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated by targeting ships trying to pass through the strait, with several incidents reported in recent days.

Source: By James T. Areddy and Costas Paris from The Wall Street Journals

PHOTO: Royal Thai Navy via Reuters