Brand-new tanker hit in Hormuz as Iran holds firm
A tanker just six weeks out of the shipyard was hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, damaging its engine room. Shipping outlets named it the Lipsi, and the crew was safe. Iran's parliament speaker said the strait will not reopen until seven Iranian conditions are met, with Brent crude last closing above $100 a barrel.
Another tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, and this one was barely six weeks old.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, or UKMTO, said a tanker's captain reported an unknown projectile that damaged the engine room. Fox News and dpa reported that the crew was safe, and Fox said no environmental damage was reported. UKMTO did not name the ship, but shipping outlets TradeWinds and Maritime Executive identified it as the Lipsi. TradeWinds said the large tanker was delivered on Aug. 24 to Greek operator Dynacom Tankers and is owned by a Chinese lease financier.
The hit came one day after UKMTO said a crude tanker was struck about four nautical miles off Oman. Maritime Executive said Iranian strikes have neared a pace of one tanker a day over the past week, including Kuwait's supertanker Kazimah III on Oct. 1. Iranian state media claim the Revolutionary Guard hit seven "violating" tankers in five days, though UKMTO has not said who fired.
Tehran also held firm on its terms. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strait "will not open" until Iran's seven conditions are met, CNBC and Al Jazeera reported. CNBC said those include ending the U.S. naval blockade, a halt to what Iran calls U.S. aggression, and the release of Iranian assets. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran wants diplomacy but is "more prepared than before" if attacked again. Washington's key demand, CNBC noted, is that Iran dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
Backstory: The war began Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel struck Iran. Before then, about a fifth of the world's oil moved through the strait. Iran has largely blocked traffic since, dpa reported, while the U.S. military has also attacked Iranian ships. A June deal called the Islamabad Memorandum brought only a short pause in the fighting.
Why it matters at home: Brent crude closed Friday at $102.25 a barrel and U.S. oil at $91.11, CNBC said, and more risk at sea feeds diesel and grocery costs.
Where to watch: Oil futures reopen Sunday evening, and UKMTO posts new shipping alerts on its website.
Where outlets agree Fox News and dpa agree UKMTO said an unknown projectile damaged a tanker's engine room in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and the crew was not hurt.
Where they differ Maritime Executive and Iranian state media say Iranian forces carried out the strikes, while UKMTO and wire reports describe only an unknown projectile.