Three vessels were reportedly struck by “unknown projectiles” in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran claimed responsibility for the attacks, asserting they fired a fourth projectile to emphasize the threat posed to global shipping in this critical waterway.
Maritime risk analysts and shipowners are currently gathering information about the incidents that began with an attack on the Japanese-flagged container ship ONE. While anchored near the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this ship suffered what was described as “minor damage” from a projectile but, thankfully, no injuries were reported.
The next target was a Thai-flagged bulk carrier. It was hit by “two projectiles of unknown origin,” which ignited a fire in the engine room. The shipping company, Precious Shipping, revealed that three crew members are currently missing and are believed to be trapped inside. The remaining 20 crew members were successfully evacuated to Oman.
A third vessel, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, was also attacked around 80 miles north of Dubai. A projectile struck close to the hold, but reports suggest there was no significant damage or injuries sustained.
The IRGC claimed responsibility for these assaults and stated they also targeted another ship with a drone, although this has not been independently verified.
The Revolutionary Guards warned that ships must seek permission from Iran before transiting the area. They criticized one ship, referred to as the Express Room, for attempting to cross despite warnings, which they viewed as a strategic miscalculation.
Iranian state media depicted footage of a burning vessel to highlight the repercussions of unauthorized navigation through the Strait, but it remains unclear whether this footage is related to the recent attacks.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Secretary posted on social media about a U.S. Navy escorting an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the ongoing flow of oil to global markets. This information led to a brief fall in global oil prices. However, later reports indicated that the post was incorrect, and the Energy Department attributed it to a misunderstanding.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt confirmed that no escort missions were currently active and noted that the accompanying post was swiftly removed. Nonetheless, a spokesperson from the Department of Energy mentioned that the administration is closely monitoring the situation and considering military options to keep the Strait open.
In response to the challenges posed by the attacks, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced plans to release an unprecedented amount of oil reserves—approximately 400 million barrels—to address the situation. This move received unanimous approval from its 32 member states due to the “unprecedented” strain on the oil market.
The IEA indicated these emergency stocks would be accessible to the market based on the unique needs of each member state. Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum referred to the decision as a wise response to what he described as a “temporary transportation problem” that would be resolved through military and diplomatic efforts.
There have been reports suggesting that a vessel, navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, was operating without its transponder during the night, leading some to speculate that the captain was defying Iranian restrictions. Interestingly, a co-founder of TankerTrackers indicated that most of the darkened tankers were Iranian, transporting about 11.7 million barrels of crude oil to China.
Additionally, Iran has reopened the Jask oil and gas terminal on the Gulf of Oman coast, which had been inactive for nearly five years, to boost crude shipments to China, as per TankerTrackers data.
