TEHRAN: Tensions in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz have escalated sharply after Iran reportedly targeted more than 20 commercial vessels attempting to pass through the key waterway.
Iran has also expanded a maritime “no-go zone” beyond the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh concerns over global energy supplies and sending crude oil prices above the $100-a-barrel mark.
Brent crude settled at $101.21 a barrel amid growing uncertainty over shipping through the region.
Iran warns ships against entering restricted zone
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted two US vessels, eight oil tankers and 10 other ships that allegedly failed to comply with Iranian instructions while attempting to transit the area.
Iranian state media quoted IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi as warning that vessels entering the restricted area without coordination would face action.
The IRGC has also reportedly extended the new restricted zone into parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Iran said the exact geographical coordinates of the expanded zone would be announced later.
Major threat to global energy supplies
The developments have heightened fears over international shipping and energy supplies. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, with roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passing through the waterway.
The UK’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said several vessels in the Gulf of Oman and wider Gulf region had come under disabling gunfire amid ongoing military activity.
Iran claims attack on US base
Iranian forces also claimed to have attacked a US military base in Jordan in retaliation for an earlier US operation in which five Iranian oil tankers were reportedly destroyed. Jordan’s military said it intercepted 18 missiles launched towards its territory.
The latest developments have intensified concerns that continued disruption around Hormuz could further push up oil prices and disrupt global shipping and energy markets.
