By TENSIONS in the Middle East escalated on Thursday after two oil tankers were attacked and left ablaze off the Iraqi coast, in the latest series of strikes targeting commercial shipping routes critical to global energy supply.
The attacks are part of a broader disruption linked to the ongoing regional conflict, which has increasingly affected vessels operating in the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has reportedly taken responsibility for several of the strikes on merchant ships in the area, warning that it will block oil shipments that benefit the United States and its allies from passing through the narrow waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most vital energy corridors, with nearly one-fifth of global oil supplies passing through it daily. Any interference with shipping in the strait immediately reverberates across international markets.
The growing instability has already pushed global oil prices to around $100 per barrel, forcing several countries to release emergency reserves in a bid to stabilise their economies and cushion the impact on domestic energy costs.
Analysts say the disruption of shipping traffic has handed Iran a strategic advantage, enabling Tehran to exert economic pressure on Western nations even as it faces mounting military pressure.
The development has also raised concerns among global powers about the possibility of a prolonged shutdown or restriction of traffic through the strait, a scenario that could significantly worsen the global energy crisis.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has openly endorsed the strategy, declaring that the blockade of the strait should remain a key tool in Tehran’s geopolitical calculations.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, serving as a crucial export route for oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Security experts warn that continued attacks on commercial vessels in and around the Gulf could deepen global economic uncertainty and trigger wider geopolitical repercussions if the conflict spreads further.
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