Tankers hit, global oil supply at risk as Iran squeezes Strait of Hormuz
India Today
The disruption has intensified after Iranian retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli attacks, raising fears of a prolonged Hormuz shutdown, a chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil, major liquefied natural gas flows and critical Gulf energy exports.
Oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have sharply slowed after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards struck three US-and UK-linked oil tankers with missiles, disrupting one of the world’s most important energy corridors. More than 200 vessels, including oil and liquefied gas tankers, have dropped anchor around the strait and nearby Gulf waters, news agency Reuters reported, citing shipping data.
The disruption has intensified after Iranian retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli attacks, raising fears of a prolonged Hormuz shutdown, a chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil, major liquefied natural gas flows and critical Gulf energy exports.
At least 200 crude and LNG tankers have clustered in open Gulf waters off major producers including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, many inside the exclusive economic zones of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared the strait effectively closed after the strikes and warned ships that passage was unsafe due to military escalation. Broadcast warnings attributed to Iranian naval forces told vessels to avoid the waterway. Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei said on state television that no American ship would be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf.
Commercial shipping has come under direct and collateral risk as hostilities spread into Gulf sea lanes. At least three tankers were damaged off Gulf coasts after Iranian retaliation put merchant ships at risk.
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