Iran Threatens Alternative Oil Export Routes and Describes Them as a Hostile Act
Iran informed countries in the region that opening new oil export routes will be treated as a hostile act, after projectiles struck a chemical tanker off Qatar.
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Iran informed countries in the region that any new oil export routes will be treated as a hostile act, according to Reuters citing a senior regional official close to Tehran and a diplomat who was briefed. The sources stated that plans may include missile and drone attacks on vessels or sending boats to intimidate them, and that this direction was approved in a plan between the political leadership and the Revolutionary Guards.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced that projectiles struck the chemical tanker "Acers", which flies the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, several times north of Madinat ash Shamal in Qatar at a distance of about 51 nautical miles, causing minor injuries to the crew. The operating company "Valvoria Shipping" could not be reached for comment on the incident.
Clearwater Dynamics said the incident reflects a "broader combat zone" affecting the approaches to Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Jakob Larsen, head of safety and security at BIMCO, said the recent series of Iranian attacks has "reduced shipowners' willingness to transit the strait," adding that the Iranian threat appears to be escalating.
The number of vessels attempting to cross dropped to its lowest level in two months, following a week that recorded the highest toll of tanker attacks since the start of the war. Gulf producers are resorting to routes along the Omani side of the strait and then transferring shipments in the waters of the Gulf of Oman with U.S. air support.
What do these terms mean?
Strait of Hormuz: The maritime waterway connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean, through which a significant portion of global oil and gas exports passes.
Chemical Tanker: A ship designed specifically to transport liquid chemicals, requiring more precise safety equipment than standard oil tankers.
Drones: Small remotely controlled or autonomous aircraft used in conflicts to target ships or facilities without direct risk to the attacker.
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