An association of cargo ship owners is concerned about the safety of seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters)
Three ships travelling through the contested Strait of Hormuz have been hit, according to British maritime officials, with casualties reported.
Three ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz have been attacked in recent days, British maritime officials said.
The ships were struck by unknown projectiles, resulting in two casualties, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.
INTERCARGO, an association of cargo shipowners, reported that a sailor aboard the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Dynasty was killed on Monday.
The Strait of Hormuz saw roughly a fifth of the world's oil pass through it before the war. (ABC News Graphics)
While hostilities between Iran and the United States have eased in recent weeks, a string of attacks on vessels passing through the strait has unsettled investors, pushing oil prices to a three-week high.
Brent crude futures jumped more than 3 per cent over the past week, to $US91.38 by 5:45pm AEST on Friday.
The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman is a vital shipping route for oil in the region.
Amid fresh strikes on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and stalled peace talks, oil prices have spiked. (ABC News: John Gunn)
Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on state media yesterday the strait will remain shut until the US meets the conditions of an interim deal signed between the two countries in June.
The conditions include the US lifting its own blockade, removing oil sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending military threats, he told parliament.
However, last week, Saudi Aramco, the world's top oil producer, resumed loading oil from inside the strait, eyeing Singapore and Malaysia as potential destinations.
Saudi Aramco resumed shipping through the strait last week. (AP: Hassan Ammar)
Despite Iran and the US not directly trading blows, energy prices have remained higher than pre-war levels while the roughly 500 million barrels that usually flow through the strait each month slowed to a trickle.