A commercial vessel was struck by a projectile near Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday, killing one crew member and injuring several others, according to Iranian state media and maritime authorities.

The vessel was carrying a 10-member crew when the incident occurred near the waters around Qeshm Island. Iranian officials said one crew member died, while other reports put the number of injured at three or four as authorities continued assessing the incident. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency separately confirmed that a vessel had been hit by a projectile while transiting the strategic waterway.

The exact nature of the projectile and who launched it had not been independently established. Iranian officials blamed what they described as a hostile attack, while there was no immediate public claim of responsibility from the United States.

The incident comes amid an increasingly dangerous confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime passages. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is critical to international energy shipments.

Shipping activity in and around the strait has already been heavily disrupted by the wider conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel. The latest strike is therefore likely to increase concerns among commercial operators about the risks of sending vessels through the region.

The attack also occurred shortly before a planned regional meeting concerning maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has sought greater recognition of its authority over the waterway and has proposed arrangements governing shipping, while the United States has opposed Tehran’s efforts to restrict international navigation.

The latest incident adds another layer of uncertainty for global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz has traditionally carried a significant share of the world’s oil and gas shipments, meaning prolonged disruption can quickly affect crude prices, transportation costs and energy security well beyond the Middle East.

With the identity of the attacker still unclear and military tensions remaining high, shipping companies face growing uncertainty over the safety of commercial vessels operating near the strategic waterway.