An India-bound Thai cargo ship came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as tensions are flared up in the region between US, Israel and Iran.

The attack left a section of the vessel ablaze, prompting a rescue operation for the trapped crew. According to a report by AFP, the vessel of Thai origin was travelling through the Strait of Hormuz for Kandla Port in Gujarat, when it was struck by a missile.

The cargo vessel has been identified as Mayuree Naree. It was transiting the contentious narrow shipping corridor in the Gulf after it had left Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The authorities reportedly described it as an unknown projectile. The Royal Thai Navy said that heavy smoke was billowing from the hull and superstructure of the vessel after it was hit.

Soon after the attack, evacuation using life rafts was initiated for the drew. The images released by the navy showed the rescue efforts.

The vessel is a owned by Thailand-based transport company Precious Shipping and is a bulky 178-metre carrier with a displacement of about 30,000 tonnes.

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The rescue effort was shortly launched by the Omani navy. According to the officials, cited by AFP, 20 crew members were rescued and the search operation was underway for three missing sailors.

Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a contentious geographical point in West Asia amid the war as Iran has vowed to target each ship passing through it. Meanwhile, the United States has time and again iterated to protect the ships from Iranian attacks.

Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump warned Iran against obstructing the vessel movement in the Strait of Hormuz, saying that Iran will be hit "twenty times harder" than previous strikes if it tries to stop the flow of oil in the Strait, adding that the said strikes will make it impossible for Iran to build it back.

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Strait of Hormuz is a narrow strait between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with its narrowest point only 33 km wide. The strait is crucial as 20 per cent of the global crude and gas trade passes through it. Falling south of Iran, Tehran has time and again used it to pressurise the world during the times of conflict.