Supertankers Targeted in the Strait of Hormuz
As supertankers have increasingly become targets in attacks on commercial vessels during the Iran war, navigational risks in the Strait of Hormuz remain high.
During the Iran war, attacks on commercial vessels increasingly targeted supertankers, highlighting the challenges to reviving oil shipments from the region to global markets.
Of the nine attacks on commercial vessels following the peace agreement announced in June but later shelved, five targeted Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), which carry Middle Eastern oil to global markets.
Before the peace agreement, nine of the 48 commercial vessels damaged during the war were VLCCs. Three of them, while carrying Iranian oil, were neutralized by the U.S. Navy.
With oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz increasing in recent months, supertankers transiting the region continue to face the risk of attack.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said that four of the five attacked supertankers were damaged off the coast of Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that some of the incidents occurred in the Strait of Hormuz or near the strait.
The IMO Secretary-General said that, due to the current navigational security risk, commercial vessels should continue to exercise caution when transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
