Tanker Attack Near the Strait of Hormuz Raises Concerns
LONDON/ATHENS: On Monday, a Chinese-operated oil tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Chinese media outlet Caixin. This incident comes as President Donald Trump announced a U.S. initiative to assist stranded vessels in the area, but he halted those efforts just a day later.
This marks the first reported attack on a Chinese tanker, as confirmed by a source close to the situation. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for global oil and gas, with about 20% of the world’s supply passing through, and traffic has been severely disrupted since the Iran conflict escalated on February 28.
The tanker, identified as having a “CHINA OWNER & CREW” label, caught fire during the attack. It’s unclear if any crew members were injured. Despite China being a major buyer of Iranian oil, which has been targeted by a U.S. blockade in the Gulf of Oman, the Chinese foreign ministry has yet to comment on the incident.
On the same day, Trump had stated plans for U.S. support to ships in Hormuz but quickly reversed this after Iran responded by launching drones and missiles at several vessels and its neighbors, particularly the UAE.
Maritime security sources suggested that the affected vessel may be the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, JV Innovation, which had reported a fire on its deck to surrounding ships on the same day. The incident occurred off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, near Mina Saqr.
Due to the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, many ships and around 20,000 seafarers are currently stuck in the Gulf, with maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz paralyzed after renewed hostilities this week.
