Report: Greek Tanker May Be On Fire in Strait of Hormuz

Despite active hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing threat of Iranian attacks, merchant ships continue to transit the waterway in small numbers - and some are still getting hit. On Monday morning, UKMTO reported a vessel on fire in the strait, about eight nautical miles due north of the Musandam Peninsula in Omani waters.

Early reports indicate that the vessel may be the recently-built product tanker Kavomaleas, operated by Dynacom - a Greek tanker firm well-known for braving the risks of the U.S.-Iran conflict. The vessel's last reported AIS position puts her in approximately the same region as the reported strike.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed in a statement Sunday that two oil tankers that were attempting to transit the "unsafe" southern route have exploded, not just one. The IRGC claimed that the vessels had hit mines in the waterway, and warned that any vessels carrying fertilizers, oil or gas would be targeted.

Vessel transits have tailed off dramatically over the weekend due to the intensifying conflict between U.S. and Iranian forces. The comparatively few vessels still transiting the strait have largely been using the Iranian-controlled lane on the north side - but not all of them. "The Greek shipowners (plus a few others) are still crossing the strait, at great risk for crews and ships," said Bloomberg commodity columnist Javier Blas on Sunday.

For its part, U.S. Central Command continued its attacks on Iranian targets for the ninth successive day, hoping to curtail Iran's ability to strike shipping. The command said in a statement that it hit "military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks." The strikes have come at a cost: three U.S. servicemembers have died since Friday in Iranian attacks.