A tanker managed by Dynacom Tankers Management caught fire on July 20 after being hit by an unknown projectile near the Strait of Hormuz, specifically about 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. The Malta-flagged vessel, identified as the Kavomaleas, was transiting the strait when the incident occurred. The crew safely abandoned the ship and were rescued; however, the fire remained active, and the tanker was left adrift. Authorities, including the UKMTO, are investigating the cause, which has not yet been determined, and reported no immediate environmental impact.
This incident adds to a series of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with shipping through the waterway severely impacted. On July 21, the conflict between Iran and the United States entered its 10th day, as Tehran warned that the strait would remain unsafe for commercial shipping. The previous day, only eight vessels passed through the waterway, a three-week low, significantly down from the 130 to 140 vessels that typically transited daily before the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed two tankers "exploded" after attempting an unsafe southern route through the strait, though it was unclear if these were connected to the Kavomaleas incident.
Further escalating regional risks, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis announced plans to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea. This new threat comes as the Strait of Hormuz is already disrupted, with Iran’s partial blockade affecting most oil and other exports from the Gulf. Currently, the Red Sea serves as a critical alternative for Gulf oil, with total petroleum volumes transiting Bab el-Mandeb reaching 7.4 million barrels per day in June, representing about 7% of global oil output. A serious disruption to the Bab el-Mandeb strait would mean both major Middle Eastern oil export routes could be simultaneously shut, maintaining upward pressure on oil prices. Brent crude traded at $88.44 a barrel on Monday, up 0.38% on the day and having briefly climbed as high as $91.01 earlier in the session.
