Thailand has confirmed the deaths of three crew members from a cargo vessel that was hit during heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the lingering human cost of last month’s regional escalation.

Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated on Wednesday that the bodies of the three missing sailors from the Thai-flagged vessel Mayuree Naree had been recovered, ending weeks of uncertainty. The ship was struck on March 11 while transiting the strategic waterway after departing from the United Arab Emirates.

Twenty crew members were safely repatriated in mid-March, but the three others remained unaccounted for. They are believed to have been trapped inside the ship’s engine room following the attack. “Unfortunately, the three remaining crew members were eventually found, but they had lost their lives in the incident,” Sihasak said. He also expressed gratitude to Oman for its assistance in the rescue efforts.

The attack occurred amid a sharp escalation following US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. In response, Tehran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz , a critical corridor for global oil shipments  and began targeting passing vessels.

According to AFP, the incident underscores the broader risks faced by commercial shipping during the crisis, as Iran’s retaliatory measures disrupted one of the world’s most vital energy routes and raised alarms across international maritime networks.

A tentative de-escalation emerged this week after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that vessel movement through the strait would resume under coordination with Iranian armed forces.

Shipping activity has begun to cautiously pick up, with maritime tracking service MarineTraffic reporting that at least two ships have already passed through the strait since the agreement took effect.

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