A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by munitions, injuring two crew members and escalating regional security concerns.
A commercial tanker sailing in the Strait of Hormuz was reported to have been hit by unidentified munitions, resulting in injuries to two crew members. The attack has once again raised security concerns in Hormuz, one of the most critical transit points for global energy transportation.
The security risk to commercial vessels around the Strait of Hormuz continues. In the latest incident in the region, a tanker was attacked, and two sailors were injured. Following the incident, shipping traffic and the risk of war in the area have once again come to the forefront of the maritime sector's agenda.
The number of vessels passing through Hormuz has sharply declined.
In the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy transit points, commercial vessel activity is significantly below pre-war levels.
According to Kpler data, only 17 commodity vessels passed through the strait over the weekend. This figure is below the 37 vessels recorded the previous weekend, while prior to the war, approximately 125 large commercial vessels were passing through Hormuz daily.
Experts indicate that the decline is influenced not only by the risk of physical attacks but also by the costs of war risk insurance and the operational decisions of shipowners.
Some tankers are sailing with AIS turned off.
Another noteworthy development in the region is that some tankers are sailing with their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) turned off.
As a result, the number of vessels seen in satellite and tracking systems may not fully reflect the actual transits. Kpler data shows that some oil tankers are maintaining their passages through Hormuz with low visibility.
Oil flow has not completely stopped.
Despite the security risks, energy exports continue.
According to Kpler data, during the week of September 13, 22 tankers transported approximately 42 million barrels of crude oil out of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia and Iraq accounted for a significant portion of this volume.
Additionally, some producers have started to use the ship-to-ship transfer (STS) method more frequently off the coast of Oman to mitigate risks. According to Reuters, transfers made using this method reached approximately 2.5 million barrels per day in September.
Pressure is increasing in maritime markets.
The security issue in Hormuz continues to drive freight rates higher in the tanker market.
Particularly in the VLCC segment, the tightening of supply, the rise in war risk premiums, and the emergence of longer routes are increasing the costs of oil transportation.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
