Tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz have become increasingly unpredictable as heightened security risks and Iran’s efforts to assert greater control over the waterway leave vessels uncertain about when and where they can safely transit.
Vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg showed the Amara, a fuel tanker that entered the Persian Gulf empty on Monday, making several U-turns after entering the Strait. The vessel is now stationary in the northern section of the waterway, within shipping lanes where Iran permits vessels to pass.
The unusual movement highlights the growing uncertainty facing commercial shipping through one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, where security concerns have sharply altered normal tanker operations.
The situation was further complicated on Monday after Iranian media reported that an oil tanker owned by a United Arab Emirates-based company had been detained near Iran’s Qeshm Island.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported the detention, but the tanker was not identified. Neither the Iranian government nor the UAE had issued an official statement confirming the reported detention at the time of reporting.
The uncertainty around tanker movements comes against a backdrop of worsening maritime security in and around the Strait.
Early Tuesday, a cargo vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile while making an outbound transit of the waterway, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The Royal Navy-sponsored maritime security organisation said the vessel’s company security officer reported that the ship had been hit while leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
The impact damaged the vessel’s engine room and resulted in a crew casualty. The remaining crew members were being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, while UKMTO said no environmental impact had been reported.
The incident occurred near Omani waters along the southern outbound route linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
The latest developments come as Iran and the United States remain sharply divided over the future of the Strait of Hormuz and the wider conflict in the Middle East.
Statements from both sides earlier this week have further reduced expectations of an immediate diplomatic breakthrough, adding to uncertainty over the security of the waterway.
The Strait is critical to global energy markets because of the large volumes of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas that normally pass through it.
With tanker movements becoming increasingly irregular, traders are closely monitoring whether the disruption will persist and how far Iran’s efforts to control vessel movements will affect global energy supplies.
The heightened risks have already fed into crude prices. Brent crude moved above $91 a barrel in Asian trading on Tuesday, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded above $85 a barrel, as markets priced in a higher risk of prolonged disruption to energy flows through the region.