A tanker off Oman lost control after being hit by munitions, raising security concerns and halting traffic at the Strait of Hormuz.
A tanker sailing off the Musandam Peninsula of Oman lost control after being hit by unidentified munitions. The damage to the engine room has created new security pressure at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic was already very low.
The attempt to resume oil transportation in the Strait of Hormuz has once again come under pressure due to a new attack occurring right at the entrance of this strategic passage. The loss of mobility of the tanker hit off the coast of Oman may affect not only that single vessel but also the risk assessments of other carriers planning to transit the area.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that the incident occurred on Saturday, August 1, approximately 11 nautical miles northeast of the Lima region of Oman.
Damage to the engine room halted the vessel.
The tanker, which was struck by yet unidentified munitions, sustained damage to its engine room. The ship transitioned to a 'loss of control' state, indicating that it could not maneuver safely with its own propulsion and navigation systems.
The initial security report indicated that there were no casualties or injuries. No leaks causing marine pollution or other environmental impacts were reported either. The name of the tanker, its flag, owner, cargo, and the type of munitions used in the attack were not disclosed in the initial statement.
It is still unknown whether the incident was caused by a missile, a drone, or another system. Temporary security arrangements may need to be made for surrounding traffic until the ship regains mobility or withdraws from the area.
Traffic in Hormuz had dropped to just a few vessels.
The attack occurred during a period when commercial transits in the Strait of Hormuz had not yet returned to normal levels. According to vessel tracking data, only four commodity ships passed through the strait on Friday, all of which exited the Gulf. Among these vessels were two very large crude carriers, each carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil.
The number of commodity ships that passed through the strait the previous day had been reduced to three. Vessels that were sailing with their tracking devices turned off are not included in these counts. Nevertheless, current data shows that energy transportation remains significantly below normal levels in one of the world's most critical maritime passages.
The new attack may lead shipowners and chartering companies to further postpone their decisions to transit the strait. Particularly, the targeting of the tanker’s engine room raises security concerns as it could directly halt the vessel's navigation.
One-fifth of the world's oil passes through this gateway.
The Strait of Hormuz connects oil and natural gas production in Gulf countries to global markets via the Gulf of Oman. Under normal conditions, shipments corresponding to about one-fifth of global oil demand are transported through this narrow waterway. A significant portion of crude oil loaded from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait is delivered to Asia and other markets via Hormuz.
This route is also critically important for vessels carrying diesel, jet fuel, gasoline, and liquefied natural gas. The security risk in the strait not only affects energy prices. War risk insurances, tanker charter rates, route durations, and delivery schedules also increase according to the frequency of attacks.
During the previous wave of attacks in the region, some insurance companies had limited war risk coverage, leading to a sharp increase in the costs of transporting oil from the Middle East to Asia.
The perpetrator of the attack is still unknown.
The initial statement indicated that no party had claimed responsibility for the attack. Military and maritime security units in the region are expected to investigate the direction from which the munitions were launched and the nature of the damage sustained by the vessel.
Another issue to be monitored will be whether the tanker will withdraw from the area with assistance. The prolonged immobility of the ship at the entrance of Hormuz could create new traffic pressure in already narrow safe passage areas.
Following the incident, it will be observed whether tankers passing through the strait will change their routes, postpone their voyages, and whether insurance costs will rise again. Due to the energy markets being closed over the weekend, the initial direct impact of the attack on oil prices may be seen when trading resumes on Monday.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
