Projectile strike on vessel in Hormuz raises fresh worries for oil flow
A ship was hit by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting crew evacuation after a fire broke out, according to UKMTO.
According to the UKMTO, a projectile hit a ship navigating the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire that led to the crew's evacuation by local responders. This attack occurs just after Saudi Arabia temporarily closed its 1,200-km East-West pipeline as a precaution following a drone strike that regional officials traced to Iraq, where Iran-backed militias operate. The pipeline, which has been carrying 4-5 million barrels per day, is a key alternative route while the Hormuz channel remains largely blocked by war.
Energy markets have reacted sharply, with Brent crude prices climbing back above $100 a barrel. While no party has officially claimed the pipeline attack, Iranian state media reported an Iranian commercial vessel was hit off its southern coast, killing one and wounding three. Meanwhile, the Houthis have said they injured two people in Saudi Arabia's Jazan region and damaged several structures, and they claim Saudi airstrikes have hit Yemen's Taiz province. Diplomatic talks involving Iran and Gulf states are slated for Oman, but expectations of a breakthrough remain low.
Why it matters
Disruptions in Hormuz and the Saudi pipeline threaten global oil supplies and could further inflate energy prices.
How this story developed
- Sep 8 Houthi strikes wound dozens in Saudi cities as coalition vows retaliation
- Sep 11 Iranian and Saudi diplomats held talks aimed at reducing regional insecurity.
- Sep 11 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Donald Trump to authorize U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but the United States limited its role to intelligence and targeting assistance.
- Sep 11 The Iran-backed Houthis captured the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Mayyun Island and the Hanish islands, consolidating control over the vital Red Sea corridor.
- Sep 11 Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said the pipeline was targeted by several drones launched from Iraq, causing human injuries and damage.
- Sep 11 New satellite data now show a smoke plume along the pipeline route.
- Sep 12 Satellite imagery shows a massive smoke plume about 100 km long and sustained thermal hotspots along the East-West Pipeline corridor southeast of Medina.
- Sep 12 Saudi Arabia closed its oil pipeline after drone attacks traced to Iraq.
- Sep 12 Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said navigation in the Red Sea was safe except for Saudi ships.
- Sep 12 Experts noted Iran now influences both the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab chokepoints.
- Sep 13 Houthis announced a drone and missile strike on Saudi Sharurah military base.
- Sep 13 The Houthi militia said it launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia's Sharurah military base, and Saudi officials reported injuries and damage in Jazan.
- Sep 13 Iraq seized a drone‑launching platform suspected of being used in the strike and dismissed the Maysan provincial commander.
- Sep 13 Iraqi security officials uncovered a drone‑launch platform they say was used in the recent East‑West pipeline attack.
In this story
Related stories
17 in this thread