US-Israel War Escalates into Maritime Conflict over Hormuz
The US-Israel war on Iran is taking an increasingly maritime turn, with both sides targeting oil tankers and vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The latest escalation came on September 8, when the United States struck five Iranian oil tankers, prompting a counterattack on Jordan's al-Azraq airbase.
Just three days earlier, the US had hit three Iranian tankers, following Iran's launch of ballistic missiles towards a US aircraft carrier and a navy destroyer near the strait. Tehran also claimed to have targeted three oil tankers traveling through what it called an 'unauthorised route' in the strait, as well as three US-linked vessels elsewhere.
The tit-for-tat attacks are turning Hormuz into a potential environmental tinderbox, with millions of barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passing through or waiting around the waterway. A successful strike could trigger a fire, sinking, or major oil spill.
As of Monday, MarineTraffic data shows 42 tankers waiting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, while hundreds more vessels are waiting or moving slowly in the wider Gulf of Oman and the Gulf region. Of these tankers, 18 are carrying oil, with an estimated combined capacity of 1.76 million cubic meters of oil and petroleum products, roughly 11.1 million barrels of oil, equivalent to about 11 percent of the world's daily oil demand.
The environmental damage could be catastrophic, with a major tanker strike or sinking releasing millions of liters of oil into the Gulf, potentially contaminating coastlines, fisheries, and fragile marine ecosystems. Unlike land, oil at sea can spread over vast areas, carried by currents and winds far from the original site of the spill.
Since the start of the war, at least 75 ships have been attacked, with at least 21 seafarers killed. Two incidents have resulted in minor oil spills, while six have caused fires.