Iran Strikes Second Tanker and Third Ship in New Surge Targeting Shipping
QatarEnergy confirmed reports coming from Iran that a chartered MR tanker was struck early on April 1. The vessel sustained minor damage above the waterline and a fire, while UK Maritime Trade Operations is also saying that a second missile remains unexploded in the vessel’s engine room.
Iranian reports again claimed the tanker that was attacked was linked to Israeli interests. A statement from the IRGC readout on Iranian television said a tanker belonging to the Israelis with the trade name Aqua 1 was “precisely targeted in the valiant missile battle of the IRGC naval forces, and is burning.”
Reports to UKMTO said that there had been a fire from the first of two missile strikes, but it had been extinguished. The second missile remains unexploded, with UKMTO reporting it was being “investigated.”
The tanker Aqua 1 (47,917 dwt) is registered in Panama, with its ownership listed as a company in the UAE. It is managed by Thome Ship Management of Singapore, which confirmed the tanker had been struck. It said the 21 crewmembers aboard the vessel, which was built in 2010, were safe. The ship was reported to have been approximately 17 nautical miles north of Doha, Qatar, and near the Ras Laffan terminal and empty at the time.
The missiles were reported to be part of a larger attack in which Qatar claimed to have intercepted two additional missiles. Associated Press reports it was part of an ongoing broader attack by Iran, with reports of alerts in Bahrain, a person killed in the UAE, two people injured in Dubai, a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport set on fire, and at least two drones intercepted by Saudi Arabia.
Iran appears to again be increasing its attacks on shipping after a lull that had lasted nine days. Reuters tallied the attacks at 22 ships, including the Qatari vessel struck overnight, that have either been struck or damaged by debris from the missile and drone attacks. Iran claimed an attack on an Israeli-related containership on Tuesday and hit a Kuwaiti tanker. The Al Salmi reported a small fire that was extinguished, while pictures online show a large hole in the tanker forward on the starboard side.
Qatar had previously shut down its LNG operations after a strike that damaged at least 17 percent of the capacity on its field. Analysts at TankerTrackers.com posted today that they believed no LNG tankers had left the Gulf in March. They said that in total, only 84 tankers have left the region in March.
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Iran, however, continues to insist that the Strait of Hormuz is open to noncombatants. At the same time, reports indicate that Iran has accelerated its oil production and shipments.
The NGO United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) issued an end-of-month summary, reporting that it tracked at least 27 Iranian oil loadings, with 20 of them having taken place at Kharg Island in March. Further, it is reported that UANI has observed at least 23 ghost fleet tankers laden with Iranian oil that have left the Persian Gulf. It also reports that at least 21 Iranian-flagged tankers were observed returning empty from Southeast Asia since the start of the conflict.