Tanker traffic at the Strait of Hormuz has become even more erratic than before, with vessels meandering and U-turning, unsure how to proceed amid escalating security threats and Iran’s insistence of control over the chokepoint.
The Amara fuel tanker, which moved into the Persian Gulf empty on Monday, has since made several U-turns and is currently positioned without moving in the northern part of the Strait of Hormuz in lanes where Iran approves transits, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
On Monday, a local media report by Iran’s Fars news agency claimed that a tanker owned by an UAE company was detained in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran’s Qeshm Island. The vessels has not been named, while no official communication from either Iran or the United Arab Emirates has been issued since then.
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The security situation in the region has further worsened in recent hours after a cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday local time.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO said on Tuesday that it had received a report of an incident in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” the UKMTO said in a warning notice.
“The impact caused damage to the engine room and resulted in a crew casualty. The remaining crew are currently being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard,” said the organization, adding that no environmental impact has been reported at present.
Meanwhile, Declarations by Iran and the U.S. earlier this week make the prospect of peace in the Middle East even more distant, driving crude oil prices higher early on Tuesday. Brent Crude topped $91 per barrel in Asian trade, while the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, traded above $85 a barrel.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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