Three foreign vessels were struck overnight in the Persian Gulf, authorities said Thursday, as attacks on commercial shipping intensified near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions involving Iran.
The incidents come a day after three other ships were damaged in Gulf waters and as Iran warned global oil prices could surge to US$200 per barrel if the regional conflict worsens.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a container ship was hit by an unidentified projectile about 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali, a major port near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The strike caused a small fire onboard the vessel, though all crew members were reported safe.
Earlier, two foreign oil tankers caught fire in Iraqi territorial waters after being struck near the port of Umm Qasr, close to the southern city of Basra.
At least one person was killed in the attack and 38 crew members were rescued from the burning vessels, according to media reports citing Iraqi port officials.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes — has nearly ground to a halt since the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28.
Iran has since retaliated by targeting ships attempting to pass through or near the narrow waterway, raising fears of a broader disruption to global energy supplies.
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The strait links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and carries roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas shipments, making it a critical artery for international energy markets.
The latest attacks have heightened concerns about the security of maritime trade in the region and the potential for a prolonged economic shock if oil flows are disrupted for an extended period.
“Get ready for oil to be $200 a barrel, because the oil price depends on regional security, which you have destabilised,” said Ebrahim Zolfaqari, according to Reuters.
Oil markets reacted sharply to the rising tensions.
International benchmark Brent crude rose about eight percent on Thursday to around $99 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed more than eight percent to about $94.
The surge in prices came shortly after Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed as a “tool to pressure the enemy”.
In remarks broadcast by Iranian state media, Khamenei also called for the immediate closure of all U.S. military bases in the Middle East and warned they could become targets.
The 56-year-old cleric assumed Iran’s top leadership position earlier this week following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in U.S.-Israeli strikes that marked the opening phase of the conflict.
As tensions escalated, the International Energy Agency said its 32 member countries would release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves.
The coordinated drawdown — the largest since the agency was established after the 1973 oil embargo — is aimed at stabilising global energy markets and offsetting supply disruptions linked to the conflict.
Analysts say the coming weeks will be critical for energy markets and global shipping routes, particularly if attacks on commercial vessels continue in or near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply normally flows.
