Iran strikes ships, widens maritime no-go zone beyond Hormuz
Iran has expanded its maritime no-go zone in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, claiming to have attacked multiple vessels. The escalation has caused oil prices to rise above $100 per barrel amid ongoing tensions with the United States.
Why it matters
The disruption of a critical global energy transit route poses a significant threat to international economic stability and regional security.
TEHRAN, Sept 10 — Iran said it attacked more than a dozen vessels trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, as it announced an expansion of a no-go zone outside the strategic waterway it has blockaded for months.
The fresh attacks and fighting with the United States sent oil prices above US$100 (RM407) per barrel again as Tehran chokes off the strait and Washington presses a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. Brent oil closed at US$101.21.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they attacked two US vessels, eight oil tankers, and 10 “non-compliant vessels” that were trying to pass through the route crucial for oil and gas trade, Iranian state media reported.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said “several” vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf were “subject to disabling fire as part of ongoing military activity in the region”.
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