Dubai: Iran announced on Wednesday that it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the United States sank five Iranian oil tankers. This marks the largest exchange of attacks on shipping between the two nations since the onset of the six-month-old conflict.
According to France24.com, the escalation in hostilities has triggered a significant increase in oil prices, with benchmark Brent crude futures surpassing $100 a barrel for the first time since July. The conflict has already resulted in casualties, with at least one seafarer reported dead and another missing from the attacked vessels.
In addition to the attacks on ships, Iran claimed to have fired ballistic missiles at a base used by US forces in Jordan. This surge in aggression comes after a period of relative calm ended in late August, with both the US and Iran targeting military, shipping, and energy assets in their ongoing conflict.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned of a sharp escalation in their response to further attacks, pledging to target 20 sites if provoked. They also announced plans to release maps of a new, expanded off-limits zone at sea, stretching as far as Chabahar on Iran's southeast coast near Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for restraint to prevent further escalation near the volatile Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict has also exacerbated tensions in Yemen, where fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement threatens global energy supplies. The US military confirmed the destruction of five Iranian oil tankers and released footage of the burning ships before they sank. The US Central Command described the attacks as a response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the past two days. No American casualties were reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Iranian attempts to target US naval ships would result in the loss of more Iranian tankers, asserting a new policy of attacking Iranian tankers in retaliation. Iran responded by firing on two US ships and eight tankers in retaliation.
The incident resulted in the death of a seafarer aboard the oil tanker Hercules Star and another crew member is missing. The vessel's charterer, Peninsula, disclosed that the tanker may have been struck by a drone. Reports from the British maritime security agency UKMTO indicated a nearby vessel was listing and possibly taking on water after being hit by a projectile.
Further reports from Iraqi port officials confirmed that a tanker carrying 2 million barrels of fuel oil, the New Andros, caught fire after a drone strike in Iraqi waters, though no casualties were reported among the 22 crew members. The UKMTO received numerous reports of merchant ships being struck by disabling fire in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
Iran issued threats against oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, as reported by state media. A maritime security source reported damage to a liquefied natural gas tanker in the Emirati port of Khor Fakkan. Meanwhile, Iran's IRGC claimed to have fired ballistic missiles at a US base in eastern Jordan, with Jordanian air defenses intercepting the majority of the missiles. A US official confirmed that all American troops were accounted for after the ineffective strikes.
An explosion was reported in the southern part of the Iranian port city of Jask, though details were scarce. Washington had previously announced success in guiding tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried a fifth of global oil supplies. However, recent hostilities have reduced the flow of oil through the strait to approximately 2 million barrels per day.
The conflict has led to a surge in the cost of refined fuels, with US diesel prices hitting an all-time high of $5.94 per gallon. Moreover, escalating combat between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen has added to the uncertainty in energy markets. Recent Houthi attacks on Saudi cities resulted in large fires and injuries, further destabilizing the region. Saudi authorities remain on high alert following the attacks, although they have declared the immediate threat over.
