Tanker Fire Reported in Strait of Hormuz as Brent Crude Reaches $117
A tanker caught fire after small boats attached explosive devices to its hull in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a verified safety report and pushing Brent crude to $117 per barrel.
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which works with the Royal Navy, issued a warning on Thursday that a tanker outbound in the Strait of Hormuz caught fire about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The agency later confirmed that the crew was safe and that there was no environmental impact.
According to UKMTO, a small boat approached the vessel on its port side and attached two explosive devices above the waterline. The explosions ignited a fire in the engine room, temporarily disabling the ship. UKMTO said the fire has been extinguished and the tanker is proceeding to its next port of call.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also released a statement on Thursday, claiming that four tankers had struck mines in the strait and contesting U.S. Central Command’s assertion that U.S. forces had cleared the main transit routes. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said, "The reality of the Strait of Hormuz is determined in the air, on land and at sea, not on social media and in America’s media war rooms."
The incident, together with ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, contributed to a rise in oil prices. Brent crude was trading at $117 per barrel in Asian markets, marking a fourth consecutive month of price gains.