Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ground to a halt on Thursday after Iran fired on commercial ships and said it had seized at least two vessels — a first in nearly eight weeks of war.
The Epaminondas (in white) was seen sailing toward Iran’s Qeshm Island after it was boarded by Iranian forces. MSC Francesca (blue) has stopped signaling after the altercation.
The US and Iran are locked in a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz after failing to meet for a fresh round of peace talks, with both sides blocking the waterway to gain leverage during an extended ceasefire.
US forces patrol the Arabian Sea near the Touska cargo ship, on April 20. Source: US Navy
The impact of the Middle East conflict on the shipping industry and global supply chains will linger long after the war ends, according to the head of one of the world’s largest tanker owners.
The impact of the Middle East conflict on the shipping industry and global supply chains will linger long after the war ends, according to the head of one of the world’s largest tanker owners.
Iranian gunboats fired on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz while the US intercepted two of the Islamic Republic’s oil tankers.
At least two fully laden Iranian tankers have sailed out of the Persian Gulf and past a US blockade this week. Photographer: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
At least two fully laden Iranian tankers have sailed out of the Persian Gulf and past a US blockade this week, part of a flotilla that has made its way around the warships and ferried roughly 9 million barrels of oil to the market.
An oil tanker in the Mediterranean sea is silhouetted against the hazy sky in the waters off the coast of Gibraltar. Photographer: Bloomberg Creative Photos/Bloomberg
At least two fully laden Iranian tankers have sailed out of the Persian Gulf and past a US blockade this week, part of a flotilla that has made its way around the warships and ferried roughly 9 million barrels of oil to the market.
An oil tanker in the Mediterranean sea is silhouetted against the hazy sky in the waters off the coast of Gibraltar. Photographer: Bloomberg Creative Photos/Bloomberg
The International Maritime Organization is working on an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began more than seven weeks ago, according to Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.
A tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast Qeshm island, Iran, on April 18.
The International Maritime Organization is working on an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began more than seven weeks ago, according to Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.
A tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast Qeshm island, Iran, on April 18.
Three vessels — two cargo ships and a fuel tanker — appeared to have crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday as US and Iranian blockades remained in place.
Visible traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained near-zero early Tuesday, as a tenuous ceasefire between Iran and the US headed toward expiration.
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a virtual standstill after a brief and confused reopening over the weekend ended with the first US seizure of an Iranian vessel — underscoring just how difficult it will be to restore activity in the vital strait.
A boat sails past a tanker anchored on the Strait of Hormuz off the coast Qeshm island, Iran, on April 18.
Iran on Saturday reimposed restrictions on vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Israel attacked targets in Lebanon, undermining expectations of an imminent peace deal touted by US President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump speaks to members of the press aboard Air Force One on April 17.
Iran broadcast to ships in the Strait of Hormuz that the vital oil and gas channel is once again closed to maritime traffic, with owners reporting gunfire in the waterway and ships abandoning efforts to transit after a brief spell when it appeared it might reopen.
Ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Source: Anadolu/Anadolu
Iran on Saturday reimposed restrictions on vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Israel attacked targets in Lebanon, undermining expectations of an imminent peace deal touted by US President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump speaks to members of the press aboard Air Force One on April 17.
More crude oil and gas carriers have begun to test the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, even as mixed messages from Iranian authorities leave shipowners fretting over the status of the vital energy chokepoint.
Five Greek and Indian oil tankers were seen making a Hormuz transit attempt on Saturday before u-turning. Another Indian tanker (in yellow) made the journey at around the same time but has since gone dark for some hours.
A handful of oil tankers were racing toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday after Iran declared it open, even as industry groups urged caution and several shipowners and traders said they needed more clarity about the status of the waterway before making any decisions.
A Pakistan-flagged tanker that entered the Persian Gulf over the weekend has become the first carrier to exit through the Strait of Hormuz with a crude cargo since a US blockade began on Monday, underscoring just how limited traffic through the vital chokepoint remains.
The Shalamar, shown here entering and exiting the Persian Gulf, is the first crude tanker to leave during a US blockade.
Anmelden
