Published: · Region: Middle East · Category: conflict

Iran’s Strike on Emirati Tanker in Hormuz Puts Global Oil Flows Back in the Crosshairs

An Emirati oil tanker was reportedly hit by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz as President Trump threatens to declare the waterway ‘U.S. territory’ and Tehran vows it will only open and close under Iranian command. For tanker crews, Gulf militaries and energy buyers, the risk is no longer theoretical as a war of words edges closer to a war over one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

A reported Iranian strike on an Emirati oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on 15 August has pulled the world’s most sensitive energy chokepoint back into the center of the Iran–U.S. confrontation, exposing crews and cargoes to a contest over who controls the waterway that carries a fifth of global oil trade. Regional monitoring accounts said an Iranian attack hit the Emirati‑flagged tanker AL WATAN in the strait, a narrow channel between Iran and Oman through which Gulf exporters move crude and liquefied natural gas to global markets. Details on the extent of damage, any spill, or casualties aboard the vessel were not immediately available from public sources. Neither…

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