An oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, damaging its engine room and leaving the vessel disabled near the coast of Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The UKMTO center reported receiving a strike report at approximately 12:25 a.m. local time. The vessel was hit roughly nine nautical miles northeast of Ash Shishah in Oman. “The Master of an oil tanker reports the vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the engine room and disabling the vessel,” the statement said. The crew was reported safe, though the environmental impact remained unknown.
“The Master of an oil tanker reports the vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the engine room and disabling the vessel.” – UKMTO
The attack came hours after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled plans for the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran, introducing sweeping new sanctions targeting Tehran financial networks and trade partners. The Trump administration has shifted from military operations to economic pressure to force Iran to reopen the strait to commercial shipping.
US Central Command said its naval blockade of Iran ports, in effect since July 14, has redirected 71 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two others. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an Iranian entity overseeing navigation through the waterway, warned that vessels violating its protocols face restrictions, fines, detention or confiscation.
Traffic through the strait has collapsed to a handful of daily transits from a pre-war baseline of approximately 140 vessels. The IEA has called the disruption the largest supply crisis in the history of the oil market. The IMO paused its plan to evacuate 11,000 stranded seafarers after a series of attacks on commercial vessels in recent months.
Asian refiners, cut off from Middle East supplies, are projected to nearly double their US crude purchases for September. Trade estimates show more than 40 million barrels heading to Asia, up from 22 million barrels in August, according to tracking firms Kpler, Vortexa and Sperta Commodities.
Houthi rebels in Yemen separately claimed to have targeted a Saudi Arabian supertanker with a ballistic missile in the Red Sea, further complicating the global energy logistics picture. Saudi Arabia Yanbu export terminal has become a critical alternative outlet for crude shipments, but the Houthi maritime blockade has forced tankers to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding at least 25 days to voyages.
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