International
-Ashish Rana
A second reported tanker attack in the Strait of Hormuz has pushed the United States and Iran back into direct military confrontation, raising fresh doubts over a fragile ceasefire that was meant to prevent exactly this kind of escalation. US forces struck multiple Iranian targets on Saturday after Washington accused Tehran of targeting another oil tanker in one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
US forces struck 10 Iranian military targets in the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s alleged drone attack on the oil tanker MT Kiku, escalating direct military confrontation and jeopardizing a fragile ceasefire aimed at securing commercial shipping.
The latest incident involved the Panama-flagged MT Kiku, an oil tanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude. US officials said the vessel was hit by a one-way attack drone while transiting the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday. The tanker had departed a Qatari oil field and was headed towards a port in the United Arab Emirates. No crew injuries or oil spill were reported.
US strikes Iranian targets after Strait of Hormuz tanker attack
US Central Command said American forces carried out strikes on 10 Iranian military targets at the direction of President Donald Trump. The targets included surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelaying capabilities in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
“CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping,” the command said in a statement. It added that Iran had been given an opportunity to honour the ceasefire agreement after Friday’s military action, but “elected not to.”
Trump defended the operation, saying the US had targeted Iranian missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites. In a post on Truth Social, he warned that Washington would continue to respond if Iran persisted with attacks on commercial shipping and US interests in the region.
The exchange followed a similar pattern from the previous day. On Thursday, the Singapore-registered merchant vessel Ever Lovely was struck by a drone while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. No casualties were reported. The US responded on Friday by striking Iranian military positions near the southern port of Sirik, after which Iran said it had retaliated against US military installations in the region.
Why the Strait of Hormuz matters to global energy markets
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between Iran and Oman, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints because a large share of global seaborne oil exports passes through it. Any disruption there can quickly affect energy prices, freight costs and insurance rates.
For oil-importing countries, including India, the risk is not limited to crude prices. Extended instability can affect shipping schedules, raise tanker premiums and complicate supply planning for refiners. Even when physical flows continue, markets often price in the risk of wider conflict, especially if attacks involve tankers or naval assets.
The MT Kiku was reportedly using a route closer to the Omani coastline, a corridor increasingly preferred by commercial vessels seeking to reduce exposure to waters near Iran. After Saturday’s attack, the Joint Maritime Information Centre, overseen by the US Navy, announced that the Omani shipping route would be expanded to support both inbound and outbound commercial traffic.
Maritime authorities, however, continued to warn that the threat level remained substantial. Risks cited in the region include drone attacks, mines and military activity linked to the continuing confrontation. For shipping companies, that means route adjustments alone may not fully reduce exposure.
Regional tensions spread beyond tanker attacks
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted several locations belonging to what it called the “US terrorist army in the region,” though it did not specify the sites. Iranian state television reported explosions north of the Strait of Hormuz, while blasts were also reported near Sirik and on Qeshm Island after the US strikes.
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said several Iranian drones had targeted the Gulf kingdom, calling the incident “a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents.” There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has long taken a firm position against Iranian military activity in the Gulf.
The broader concern for diplomats is that the confrontation is no longer limited to statements or isolated military moves. The past two days have seen attacks on commercial vessels, US strikes on Iranian targets, Iranian claims of retaliation, and reported drone activity against a Gulf state hosting major US naval assets.
The ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was intended to create space for talks on maritime security, freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme. Those talks now face a more difficult environment, with both sides accusing the other of violating restraint.
For now, the immediate focus will remain on whether commercial shipping can continue safely through the Strait of Hormuz. The absence of casualties and oil spills in the latest tanker incidents has prevented a sharper crisis, but repeated attacks on vessels have narrowed the room for diplomacy and increased the risk of miscalculation.
