The US military says it has defended commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz against regular threats since starting a program to assist vessels moving through the waterway, according to a document sent to the industry that lays out details of the help it’s been offering.

The US military says it has defended commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz against regular threats since starting a program to assist vessels moving through the waterway, according to a document sent to the industry that lays out details of the help it’s been offering.

The transit of empty ships through the Strait of Hormuz into the energy-rich Persian Gulf is being eagerly watched by the market, which would indicate increasing confidence in the outlook for a sustained peace deal.

Two Iran-linked tankers are sailing eastward through the Strait of Hormuz ahead of the US and the Islamic Republic signing an interim peace agreement on Friday that would re-open the waterway.

Wall Street’s biggest banks are cutting their oil-price forecasts for the coming quarters, as optimism grows over a revival of Middle East crude output following an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

A US-Iran deal intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days left many of the world’s top shipowners, traders and oil producer nations seeking clarity about the terms of the pact that’s pivotal to the global economy.

Non-Iranian oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have surged by about 50% so far this month, as more Persian Gulf producers find ways of transiting the waterway despite continued tension between Washington and Tehran.

A third tanker carrying Indian crew was struck by American forces in the Gulf of Oman this week, intensifying concerns over maritime trade security as the conflict escalates in the Middle East.

The US military fired at an empty tanker for its suspected involvement in the Iranian oil trade this week as Washington continues to enforce a blockade of the Islamic Republic’s ports.

The world’s shipowners have placed orders for a record number of new oil supertankers, surpassing a boom back in 2008 that ultimately led to a glut and a collapse in rates.

Iran struggled to get energy exports past the US Navy’s blockade last month, with around 80 million barrels of oil and petrochemicals stranded in waters behind the line, according to a US non-profit advisory group.

Iran struggled to get energy exports past the US Navy’s blockade last month, with around 80 million barrels of oil and petrochemicals stranded in waters behind the line, according to a US non-profit advisory group.

Dynacom Tankers Management, one of the few oil tanker owners to have braved the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war, said US President Donald Trump has been a good news for shipping.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has been quietly ferrying oil and gas shipments out of the Persian Gulf using its own fleet, apparently clearing both the Iranian navy and US warships to reach energy-starved customers.

GMS, a major buyer of ships and offshore vessels for recycling, says it has received the first US permit to purchase carriers sanctioned over Iran.

Some 23 tankers have been spotted around Iran’s principal oil-export hub, the largest cluster to have gathered at the island since the US Navy began a blockade on the country’s ports a month ago, interdicting and seizing ships.

A Vietnam-bound supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, which was halted by US forces days ago after crossing the Strait of Hormuz, has resumed its journey.

Iran seized a Chinese-owned ship that’s one of a handful of so-called floating armories that operate in the region, according to two maritime security consultants who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information.

The number of supertankers hauling unsanctioned oil through the Strait of Hormuz has shown signs of rising in recent days, offering limited relief to an oil market that’s suffered the largest supply disruption in history.

India has condemned an attack that set a cargo vessel ablaze before sinking it in the Gulf of Oman early on Wednesday, calling the incident “unacceptable.”