Another oil tanker was attacked near Hormuz, oil prices rose in the afternoon!

# Zhao Ying

Source: Wall Street CN

Calm Near the Strait of Hormuz Broken — Unidentified Flying Object Hits Oil Tanker Near Fujairah, UAE; Oil Loading Suspended, Oil Prices Jump

The calm near the Strait of Hormuz has been broken — an unidentified flying object struck an oil tanker near Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, in what may be the first confirmed tanker attack in the region in more than six days. Fujairah Port immediately suspended oil loading, and oil prices rose sharply in the afternoon session. Prior to this incident, the region had seen 17 intense clashes, with attacks spreading for the first time to upstream oil and gas production facilities. The crisis at the chokepoint for roughly 20% of global energy supplies is far from over.

Shipping security near the Strait of Hormuz is once again under severe strain. An unidentified projectile hit an oil tanker in waters near Fujairah, UAE, in the first confirmed attack on a tanker in the area since March 11.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on March 17 that an oil tanker anchored in the Gulf of Oman was attacked by an unidentified projectile. Minor structural damage was reported, with no casualties.

In a statement, the office said the incident occurred 23 nautical miles (approximately 42.6 kilometers) east of Fujairah, UAE, with no reports of environmental pollution.

Shipping agents stated that Fujairah, a key oil and gas hub in the UAE, suspended oil loading.

The incident took place adjacent to Fujairah Port — a critical alternative export route for the Strait of Hormuz.

According to ZeroHedge, citing UKMTO data, there had been a lengthy period without confirmed tanker attacks in the region since March 11.

If confirmed by further evidence, the attack would mark the end of this relatively calm spell, reigniting market concerns over the safety of energy shipping lanes in the Middle East.

Following the news, oil prices rallied in the afternoon, rising more than 5% at one point.

### Before March 11: 17 incidents in intense outbreaks

The attack follows a wave of intense clashes.

Since the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran began on February 28, UKMTO has received 17 reports of vessel-related incidents in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman, including 13 attack reports and 4 reports of suspicious activity, according to CNBC.

On March 11, UKMTO reported that three cargo ships near Iran’s coast were attacked by suspected projectiles.

One vessel reported being hit and catching fire inside the Strait of Hormuz, 11 nautical miles north of Oman, forcing the crew to evacuate.

Another was struck about 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, and a third was damaged off the UAE coast.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later confirmed it had fired on a Thai container ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with photos showing the vessel billowing smoke.

In a March 11 note, Torbjorn Soltvedt, Chief Middle East Analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, noted:

“Iran’s rapid, large-scale retaliation against shipping and regional energy, port, and economic infrastructure has severed a key artery of global supply chains, bringing the flow of oil, refined products, LNG, and chemicals to a near standstill.”

### Attacks expand to production facilities

As previously reported by Wall Street CN, in this round of conflict, attacks on energy facilities in the Persian Gulf have for the first time extended to the production stage.

The Shah gas field in the UAE and the Majnoon oil field in Iraq have come under attack in succession.

Analysts noted that previous targets were mainly refineries, terminals, and storage depots; this marks the first time oil and gas production facilities have been targeted, signaling an escalation in the conflict’s threat to energy supply chains.

Fujairah Port — an alternative export route to the Strait of Hormuz — had already been attacked previously.

The latest tanker strike also occurred in waters near Fujairah, underscoring that even this alternative route faces serious security challenges.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas is normally shipped.

Shipping traffic through the waterway has dropped sharply since the conflict erupted.

The latest attack on a tanker near Fujairah is another reminder to markets that shipping risks in the region have not faded.

Although the direct damage was limited — no casualties and only minor harm to the vessel — its symbolic weight is significant:

After more than six days of relative calm, attacks on oil tankers have resumed, reviving expectations of a geopolitical risk premium in energy markets.

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