Tankers near Oman come under fire as Iran threatens to choke off shipping routes
📰 source: cnbc_topnews · 💼 business
a tanker near oman reported being struck overnight, with another saying it saw a large splash and explosion nearby, as iran warned that u.s. naval blockades would shut down key shipping routes. the uk maritime trade operations centre said the damaged tanker is not under command, with no casualties reported. kuwait said its air defenses confronted hostile drone attacks by iran.
this comes as a temporary ceasefire from june 17 has broken down, and the u.s. is reportedly preparing fresh strikes against iran as soon as this weekend. the white house has completed a "heavy wave" of strikes on revolutionary guard targets, while iran attacked u.s. bases in kuwait and bahrain. a drone also hit two ships at egypt's port of damietta, the first attack on egyptian soil. iran's supreme national security council secretary warned that continued u.s. actions will lock the strait of hormuz tighter and shut other chokepoints, with the global economy paying the price. west texas intermediate closed at $84.67, brent at $90.12, both up over 1% on the day but down more than 5% for the week.
why it matters: attacks on tankers near hormuz raise supply risks, supporting oil prices as diplomatic hopes fade.
source: cnbc_topnews
sentiment: -0.75 · impact: 0.90