Maritime Monster All Jobs Moored Here
UK Maritime Trade Operations reports that two more vessels have been attacked on the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz, the latest in a series of strikes and counterstrikes between Iranian and American forces in the Mideast. Definitely a hot smoke plume, but that has happened during previous emergency flaring. Fair to say something is wrong with the E/W pipeline. https://t.co/vVe5QFo0f2 pic.twitter.com/VGA0VuHS1O
At about 1910 hours UTC, UKMTO received a report from the master of a nearby vessel that four projectiles had hit two unidentified ships in the strait, just four nautical miles off Khasab on the northeast side of the Musandam Peninsula. One of the two vessels caught fire, he reported; the other vessel’s status is unknown. Iran has not claimed responsibility for the attacks but has conducted all previous similar strikes in this area of the strait.
The reported strikes follow shortly after a series of recent U.S. retaliatory attacks on Iran’s tanker fleet, including two sinkings, the Iran-linked Riesco and the Kylo. Oil slicks near their last reported positions have been identified by RFI, a possible confirmation. Going forward, U.S. officials have pledged to follow a “tanker for a tanker” retaliation model for each subsequent Iranian strike.
The line moves about five to seven million barrels of oil per day for refining or export, relieving much of the pressure created by Iran’s restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. Any interruption in its operations would further restrict supplies of crude, which are already running at or below global demand; global stockpiles are at multiyear lows.
FULL ARTICLE AVAILABLE HERE: maritime-executive.com
