The United States has launched strikes on Larak Island amid a surge of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, following attacks on two supertankers carrying Saudi crude oil late Monday, August 31. The strikes on Larak Island were followed by Iranian retaliation against American bases located in Kuwait and Jordan, according to reports.
US Strikes Iran Following Attacks on Saudi Oil Tankers
The maritime incidents occurred within minutes of each other as the vessels were transiting outbound through the Omani corridor. The first vessel targeted was the Saudi Arabia-flagged Sidr, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) managed by Bahri. According to maritime risk management firm Marisks, the Sidr was struck by unknown projectiles at approximately 1952 UTC (GMT), roughly 16.6 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The vessel had been navigating without its transponder and is believed to have taken on cargo at Juaymah in Saudi Arabia.
Minutes after the strike on the Sidr, the Liberia-flagged Senegal Prosperity was hit by three projectiles approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab. The Senegal Prosperity, a 320,780 dwt tanker operated by the South Korean firm Sinokor, sustained damage to its ballast tank, engine room, and port side. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that the attack resulted in a total loss of communications and power, leaving the ship tilting to port. The crew of the Senegal Prosperity abandoned the ship and were rescued by local teams.
Kpler data indicates that both supertankers had loaded 2 million barrels of Saudi crude at the Juaymah terminal the previous week.
Impact on Oil Markets and Shipping
The escalation has triggered renewed anxiety in global oil markets. Oil prices rose for two consecutive sessions on Tuesday, gaining roughly two percent each day. This increase followed threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to conduct further strikes against Iran, marking the first exchanges of fire since late July.
The threat environment has prompted shifts in shipping operations. The Saudi shipping firm Bahri has reportedly begun rebranding some of its fleet; over several days, ten tankers were observed switching their flags from Saudi Arabia to Liberia and changing their names.
While President Trump stated that the U.S. is overseeing the passage of about 30 vessels per night and maintains the Strait of Hormuz is in very good condition
, data from analytics firms suggest otherwise:
- Kpler: Recorded only five confirmed crossings on Monday, consisting of four inbound and one outbound vessel.
- Windward: Reported a weekly peak of 21 vessels in a single day, with only 10 ships transiting the strait on Sunday.
Diplomatic Standoff and Mediation
The Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried about one-fifth of global oil supplies, has seen increased hostilities following the collapse of an April ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Both nations have implemented blockades in an attempt to assert authority over the waterway.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has suggested that Tehran would respond in kind if the U.S. honored a June agreement, urging Washington to return to an expired memorandum. Iran maintains that unrestricted navigation is only possible if the U.S. reverts to those terms.
Qatar announced on Tuesday that it is pressing ahead with mediation efforts and working to resolve the standoff. These efforts join those of Oman, though attempts to broker a deal to reopen the strait have so far proven inconclusive. This diplomatic tension follows U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran launched more than six months ago.
