Claims Swirl Around U.S. Marines Injured Aboard Mystery Vessel Attacked In The Strait Of Hormuz

Published Sep 28, 2026 5:26 PM EDT

(Photo by Colin McMaster/LAT Images for Extreme E)

On Sunday, NBC News reported that Marines were injured during an Iranian cruise missile attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 14. The network’s sources said the Marines were not on a U.S. Navy ship, but they did not identify which vessel they were on. However, a former Royal Mail vessel that at one point was being converted into a floating armory stands out as a strong possibility.

While much remains unclear about the Sept. 14 incident, there was only one vessel known to have been struck that day, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security official we spoke with. The ship was eventually identified by several maritime media outlets as the M/V St. Helena . Again, the St. Helena’s involvement remains unconfirmed, but the ship’s interesting background is of particular note.

The St Helena logistics ship during the Saudi Arabia on March 30, 2021. (Photo by Colin McMaster/LAT Images for Extreme E) Colin McMaster

“Eight U.S. Marines were injured two weeks ago when an Iranian cruise missile attacked the ship they were operating on in the Strait of Hormuz,” NBC reported, citing three U.S. officials. “The Marines were not seriously injured, but they sustained smoke inhalation and possibly traumatic brain injuries, as they had symptoms of concussions, such as headaches, the officials said.”

“The Marines, seven of them enlisted and one officer, all returned to duty soon after the Sept. 14 attack, the U.S. officials said,” according to the network. “The officials said the Marines were operating as part of a battalion landing team during the Iranian anti-ship cruise missile attack.”

TWZ cannot independently confirm that Marines were on board the St. Helena or that they were injured. We reached out to the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for more information. The Pentagon referred us to CENTCOM, and CENTCOM declined comment.

The incident took place amid an uneasy truce between Iran and the U.S. broken up by sporadic Iranian attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the U.S. military is enforcing a blockade on Iranian ships, during which it has struck several for trying to bypass that effort as well as in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping . Negotiations between Washington and Iran have ebbed and flowed and U.S. President Donald Trump is once again mulling a choice between continuing talks or renewing large-scale attacks.

As we noted earlier in this piece, after the vessel was struck, several maritime industry trade publications identified it as the St. Helena .

“Iran has attacked a historic former British Royal Mail passenger ship in the Strait of Hormuz,” TradeWinds News reported on Sept. 15 , a day after the incident. “Maritime security sources identify the 6,800-gt St Helena (built 1989) as the latest vessel to be hit by an ‘unknown projectile’ in the war-torn waterway. The attack was reported late on Monday, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations, which cited a ‘verified source’ for the incident without identifying the vessel.”

Aerial view of the St Helena transport ship in the sea off Porto Pino during the Sardinia on July 4, 2022. (Photo by Sam Bagnall/LAT Images for Extreme E) Sam Bagnall

“UKMTO has received a time late report of an incident within the Strait of Hormuz,” the organization reported on Sept. 15, citing an incident that took place a day earlier. “A verified source has reported that a vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile.”

“There is no reported damage or environmental impact,” UKMTO added. “Authorities are investigating.”

UKMTO WARNING 135-26 Click here to view the full product ⤵️ https://t.co/VWOyM2oLdj #MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/Dfppt86s9b — UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) September 15, 2026

UKMTO WARNING 135-26 Click here to view the full product ⤵️ https://t.co/VWOyM2oLdj #MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/Dfppt86s9b

According to Lloyd’s List , the ship was being operated by the Ambrey maritime security firm at the time it was struck. Ambrey declined to comment.

Exactly what the St. Helena was doing at the time it was struck is unclear; however, the ship has had a very unusual past.

The vessel entered into service in 1990 and “sailed between Cape Town, South Africa and Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, carrying both passengers and cargo, some of which was Royal Mail, earning her the rare RMS designation,” according to Cruise Arabia and Africa .

The St. Helena was Britain’s last working postal ship, according to Maritime Executive . After it was retired in 2018 because it was no longer needed for that function, things got really interesting.

Two different organizations took over the vessel, including, as we noted earlier in this story, a company that was planning to use it as a floating armory in the Middle East.

“Renamed MNG Tahiti , the 103-meter (340-foot) ship is being readied by her new owner MNG Maritime to become a floating armory working in the Gulf of Oman,” Maritime Executive wrote on April 22, 2018 . “She will deliver security guards and weapons to vessels sailing through the region and is expected to be operational in her new role in the next few months.”

It is unclear what happened to that plan. However, two years later, an off-road racing series called Extreme E said that it “ secured exclusive use of the former Royal Mail ship in 2018.” After that, the ship underwent “an extensive refurbishment process, which has included total overhaul of steelwork, engines, generators, propellers, interior and cabin space, and more, making it not only fit for purpose, but also as efficient as possible ahead of its new mission.”

The ship was “specifically designed to transport all the infrastructure and equipment the Extreme E needs for their race weekends,” the organization stated. The plan was to have the ship serve “as its freight and logistics hub due to her versatility and ability to carry and unload a mixture of cargo, like all 10 of the championship’s ODYSSEY 21’s [electric off-road racecar ], as well as team members and guests. This was also fit with a Science Laboratory so research can be conducted enroute to the race locations.”

Both the St. Helena and MNG Tahiti have the same international shipping identification number of IMO 8716306, according to the MarineTraffic website .

On Sept. 17, 2024, the St. Helena was put up for sale, according to Horizon Ship Brokers . The current ownership is unclear. We reached out to Horizon Ship Brokers for more details.

Horizon Ship Brokers

Last year, the saga of the St. Helena took a new turn. A company called Terra Nova Expeditions chartered the vessel for Antarctic cruises, but those plans were scrubbed last month because the vessel was stuck in the Persian Gulf and was no longer available for the Antarctic sailing season.

It was last tracked via its transponder near Dubai nearly two months ago, according to MarineTraffic .

While we can’t confirm that Marines were onboard when St. Helena was hit, Marines have been training for this exact mission set. USNI News reported in 2023 that a “force of 100 Marines, newly trained by Navy personnel,” stood ready “to respond, if ordered, to provide armed security aboard foreign commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

Those Marines were members of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) embarked on the three-ship Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), USNI added at the time.

It is unclear if those plans are still in place and if Marines in the region have actually been ordered to provide armed security for foreign vessels sailing through or near the strait. Regardless, Marines could be quickly trained to take on this mission set and have drilled for ship boarding and searches for years, especially special operations and specially-tasked units . CENTCOM declined to comment when we asked if there are U.S. personnel embarking on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, it is possible that the unique attributes of St. Helena made it a convenient host ship for sea base operations for U.S. forces in the region specifically for this crisis. Adapting commercial vessels for exactly this purpose has a long history around the Strait of Hormuz, as it was a central facet of the Tanker Wars during the 1980s, that saw U.S. forces operate from barges in the region. Today, commercial vessels remarkably similar to St. Helena operate in similar roles, especially in support of special operations and interdiction operations.

CARIBBEAN SEA – (Oct. 24, 2021) – The special mission ship U.S. Motor Vessel Kellie Chouest steams in the Caribbean Sea while participating in a passing exercise (PASSEX), with the Dominican Republic Navy and USS Billings (LCS 15) Oct. 24, 2021. Kellie Chouest is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo) Petty Officer 2nd Class Austin C

Once again, we have no idea what the ship’s mission was at the time of the incident and if Marines were simply helping it transit safely out of the Persian Gulf or something more, but the attack did expose the fact that individual Marines are more involved with activities in this tumultuous body of water than it may seem.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com .

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发布于美国东部时间2026年9月28日下午5:26

（图片由 Colin McMaster/LAT Images 为 Extreme E 拍摄）

周日，NBC新闻报道称，9月14日，几名美国海军陆战队员在穿越霍尔木兹海峡时遭到伊朗巡航导弹袭击而受伤。该新闻网的消息来源称，这些海军陆战队员当时并不在美国海军舰艇上，但并未透露他们所在的具体舰艇。不过，一艘曾被改装成海上军火库的前英国皇家邮政船只极有可能就是他们所在的舰艇。

尽管9月14日的事件仍有很多疑点，但据英国海事贸易行动处（UKMTO）和我们采访的一位海事安全官员称，当天已知只有一艘船遭到撞击。多家海事媒体最终确认该船为“圣赫勒拿”号（M/V St. Helena）。“圣赫勒拿”号是否涉案仍未得到证实，但该船的背景值得关注。

2021年3月30日，圣赫勒拿号后勤船停靠沙特阿拉伯。（图片由Colin McMaster/LAT Images为Extreme E拍摄）Colin McMaster

据美国全国广播公司（NBC）援引三位美国官员的话报道，“两周前，一枚伊朗巡航导弹袭击了他们在霍尔木兹海峡执行任务的舰艇，造成八名美国海军陆战队员受伤。” 官员们表示，“这些海军陆战队员伤势并不严重，但他们吸入了浓烟，并可能遭受了创伤性脑损伤，因为他们出现了脑震荡的症状，例如头痛。”

据该媒体报道，“美国官员称，这七名海军陆战队员，其中七名是士兵，一名是军官，在9月14日袭击事件发生后不久便全部返回岗位。” “官员们表示，在伊朗反舰巡航导弹袭击事件中，这些海军陆战队员是作为营级登陆队的一部分执行任务的。”

TWZ无法独立证实圣赫勒拿号上是否有海军陆战队员，也无法证实他们是否受伤。我们已联系五角大楼和美国中央司令部（CENTCOM）以获取更多信息。五角大楼建议我们联系中央司令部，而中央司令部拒绝置评。

此次事件发生在伊朗和美国之间脆弱的停火协议破裂之际，伊朗不时袭击途经霍尔木兹海峡的船只。与此同时，美军正在对伊朗船只实施封锁，期间曾多次击中试图绕过封锁的伊朗船只，并以此报复伊朗对船只的袭击。华盛顿和伊朗之间的谈判时断时续，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普再次面临抉择：是继续谈判还是重启大规模袭击。

正如我们在本文前面提到的，该船被撞后，几家海事行业贸易出版物确认它是圣赫勒拿号。

据《贸易风》新闻9月15日报道，伊朗在霍尔木兹海峡袭击了一艘历史悠久的英国皇家邮政客轮。该报道发布于事件发生后的第二天。海事安全部门消息人士称，这艘总吨位为6800吨的“圣赫勒拿”号（建于1989年）是最新一艘在饱受战火蹂躏的霍尔木兹海峡遭到“不明弹丸”袭击的船只。英国海事贸易行动部门援引“可靠消息来源”称，袭击事件发生在周一晚些时候，但并未透露被袭击船只的名称。

2022年7月4日，在撒丁岛举行的Extreme E极限运动会期间，圣赫勒拿号运输船在波尔图皮诺附近海域的航拍照片。（照片由Sam Bagnall/LAT Images为Extreme E拍摄）Sam Bagnall

英国海事组织（UKMTO）9月15日发布报告称：“我们收到了一份关于霍尔木兹海峡发生事件的迟到报告。”该报告援引了前一天发生的事件。“据可靠消息来源称，一艘船只遭到不明飞行物击中。”

英国海上运输办公室补充说：“目前尚未收到任何损失或环境影响的报告。有关部门正在进行调查。”

英国海事安全办公室 (UKMTO) 警告 135-26 点击此处查看完整产品 ⤵️ https://t.co/VWOyM2oLdj #海事安全 #MarSec pic.twitter.com/Dfppt86s9b — 英国海事安全办公室运营中心 (@UK_MTO) 2026年9月15日

英国海事组织警告 135-26 点击此处查看完整产品 ⤵️ https://t.co/VWOyM2oLdj #海事安全 #MarSec pic.twitter.com/Dfppt86s9b

据《劳氏日报》报道，事发时该船由安布雷海事安保公司运营。安布雷公司拒绝置评。

圣赫勒拿号被撞时究竟在做什么尚不清楚；然而，这艘船有着非常不寻常的过往。

据《阿拉伯和非洲邮轮》报道，该船于 1990 年投入使用，“往返于南非开普敦和圣赫勒拿岛及阿森松岛之间，运送乘客和货物，其中一些是皇家邮政邮件，因此获得了罕见的 RMS 称号”。

据《海事行政》杂志报道，“圣赫勒拿”号是英国最后一艘仍在运营的邮政船。2018年，由于不再需要承担邮政功能，该船退役后，事情变得非常有趣。

两家不同的组织接管了这艘船，其中包括，正如我们在本文前面提到的，一家计划将其用作中东海上军火库的公司。

《海事执行官》杂志2018年4月22日报道：“这艘103米（340英尺）长的船舶更名为MNG Tahiti号，其新船东MNG Maritime公司正在对其进行改造，使其成为在阿曼湾作业的海上军火库。她将为途经该地区的船只提供保安人员和武器，预计将在未来几个月内投入新的工作。”

目前尚不清楚该计划的最终结果。然而，两年后，一项名为Extreme E的越野赛车系列赛宣布，他们“于2018年获得了这艘前皇家邮轮的独家使用权”。此后，该船进行了“大规模翻新，包括对钢结构、发动机、发电机、螺旋桨、内部和船舱空间等进行全面改造，使其不仅能够胜任新任务，而且在新任务开始前尽可能地提高效率”。

该组织表示，这艘船“专为运输Extreme E赛事周末所需的所有基础设施和设备而设计”。计划将该船作为“货运和物流中心，因为它用途广泛，能够运输和卸载各种货物，例如锦标赛的全部10辆ODYSSEY 21电动越野赛车，以及车队成员和嘉宾。船上还配备了一个科学实验室，以便在前往比赛地点的途中进行研究。”

根据 MarineTraffic 网站的信息，St. Helena 和 MNG Tahiti 的国际船舶识别号码均为 IMO 8716306。

据Horizo​​n Ship Brokers公司消息，圣赫勒拿号于2024年9月17日挂牌出售。目前船东身份不明。我们已联系Horizo​​n Ship Brokers公司以获取更多详情。

地平线船舶经纪公司

去年，“圣赫勒拿号”的故事有了新的转折。一家名为 Terra Nova Expeditions 的公司租用了这艘船进行南极巡游，但由于该船被困在波斯湾，无法在南极航行季使用，这些计划上个月被取消了。

据 MarineTraffic 称，该船最后一次被通过其应答器追踪到是在近两个月前，地点在迪拜附近。

虽然我们无法确认圣赫勒拿号遇袭时船上是否有海军陆战队员，但海军陆战队一直在为此类任务进行训练。美国海军学会新闻网（USNI News）2023年报道称，一支“由海军人员新近训练的100名海军陆战队员”随时准备“在接到命令后，为途经霍尔木兹海峡的外国商船提供武装安保”。

据美国海军学会当时报道，这些海军陆战队员是第26海军陆战队远征部队（MEU）的成员，该部队隶属于由三艘舰艇组成的巴丹两栖戒备群（ARG）。

目前尚不清楚这些计划是否仍在实施，也不清楚该地区的美国海军陆战队是否真的奉命为途经或靠近霍尔木兹海峡的外国船只提供武装安保。无论如何，海军陆战队员可以迅速接受训练以执行此类任务，而且他们多年来一直在进行登船检查和搜查演练，特别是特种作战部队和特勤部队。当我们询问是否有美国人员登上途经霍尔木兹海峡的商船时，美国中央司令部拒绝置评。

与此同时，圣赫勒拿号的独特属性可能使其成为美军在该地区开展海上基地行动的理想母舰，尤其是在此次危机中。在霍尔木兹海峡附近，将商船改装用于此类用途由来已久，这在20世纪80年代的“油轮战争”中至关重要，当时美军就曾利用驳船在该地区开展行动。如今，与圣赫勒拿号极为相似的商船仍在执行类似的任务，尤其是在支援特种作战和拦截行动方面。

加勒比海——（2021年10月24日）——美国海军特种任务舰“凯莉·舒斯特”号（Kellie Chouest）于2021年10月24日在加勒比海与多米尼加共和国海军和美国海军“比林斯”号濒海战斗舰（LCS 15）进行联合演习（PASSEX）。“凯莉·舒斯特”号部署于美国第四舰队作战区域，以支持南方联合跨部门特遣部队的任务，其中包括在加勒比海和东太平洋地区开展打击非法毒品贩运的行动。（美国海军照片）二级士官奥斯汀·C

我们仍然不知道事发时这艘船的任务是什么，也不知道海军陆战队员是否只是在帮助它安全驶出波斯湾，还是另有其他目的，但这次袭击确实暴露了一个事实：海军陆战队员个人参与这片动荡水域的活动比表面看起来要多得多。

联系作者：howard@twz.com。

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