Hyderabad, July 7 -- The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) has raised the threat level for the Strait of Hormuz to "Severe" after three commercial tankers were attacked in a single day, warning that deliberate hostile action against merchant shipping is now considered likely.

In its latest regional maritime security advisory covering the period from March 1 to July 7, JMIC said the three confirmed incidents reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) marked a significant deterioration in the security environment across one of the world's busiest energy shipping routes.

According to the advisory, an LNG tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile about eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman, causing a fi...