Tankers Reportedly Ablaze Near Strait of Hormuz
- Three tankers are reportedly on fire in the Gulf of Oman, with conflicting reports about the cause including a possible collision.
- The incident occurs amid heightened tensions in the region, particularly between Israel and Iran, which has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz.
- The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil trade, handling over 20 million barrels daily, making the incident a significant concern for international markets.
Three tankers are reportedly on fire in the Gulf of Oman, according to social media posts, as cited by the Hindustan Times.
Kpler energy analyst Amena Bakr said on X that a British maritime security provider had reported it was aware of an unspecified incident in the area.
An outlet for shipping news published a YouTube video saying two tankers had collided in the Gulf of Oman.
An X account named OSINTDefender reported that “It appears that the fires seen off the coast of Iran in the Gulf of Oman may have been caused by the collision of two oil tankers, the Antigua Barbuda-flagged ADALYNN and the Liberian-flagged FRONT EAGLE. Though ship tracking suggests this likely happened over three hours ago, which does not explain why there had been no reports until the picture showing the fires and the statement by Ambrey [the British maritime security firm].”
The Strait of Hormuz is currently attracting a lot of attention amid the war between Israel and Iran, and the fact Iran has threatened in the past to close the chokepoint in case of hostilities against it.
The chokepoint handles more than 20 million barrels daily in oil trade, with the bulk of Middle Eastern oil—and Qatari LNG—passing through it en route to international markets.
Israel and Iran continued firing missiles at each other for the fifth day in a row with both sides apparently unwilling to end the hostilities. European foreign ministers earlier this week urged the Iranian foreign minister to restart nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and de-escalate, to which Abbas Araqchi responded that Tehran’s priority right now was retaliating against Israel, which attacked Iran on Friday.
President Trump also called on the Iranians to cease hostilities, saying on his social network Truth Social that Tehran should evacuate.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
24 Crewmembers Rescued After Tanker Collision in Gulf of Oman
AIS data provided by Pole Star confirms that the tankers Front Eagle and Adalynn appear to have had a collision at 2120 hours GMT on Monday. NASA FIRMS satellite infrared sensor observations confirm a heat source (potential fire) in the same location at 2140 GMT. Photos of a large fire purportedly off Khor Fakkan have been circulating on social media.
The UAE's coast guard confirmed that a collision occurred, and reported that all 24 crewmembers were safely rescued from Adalynn on Tuesday morning (local time).
Global risk intelligence agency Ambrey says that it is aware of an unspecified incident at a position about 22 nm off Khor Fakkan, the same area identified by AIS tracking.
An early analysis by maritime expert Prof. Sal Mercogliano suggests that as the two vessels neared each other in a crossing situation, one of them made a late turn to starboard instead of maintaining course and speed. He noted that the tanker had been subject to conspicuous AIS spoofing earlier in its voyage.
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