Iran Strikes Again: Supertankers Hit in Strait of Hormuz
A pair of supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck by projectiles while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz overnight, maritime analysts said.
The tankers, each carrying 2 million barrels of crude from the Juaymah terminal, were hit while sailing near the Omani coast, where Iran has regularly attacked vessels that are bypassing its claim to the Strait, according to the Kpler and Marist tracking firms.
All crew members aboard both ships were reported safe after being struck by projectiles. The Saudi Arabian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Sidr was the first ship hit while attempting to make the crossing, with the Liberian-flagged VLCC Senegal Prosperity hit just minutes later by three projectiles.
The latest incident in the critical oil passageway caused crude contracts to shoot up by more than 2% on Tuesday, with the Brent international benchmark hitting $92 a barrel. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would be willing to return to the terms of June's Memorandum of Understanding with the US.