Crude shipments designated for the West could be in danger, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) has warned after what Iran described as suspicious attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We need to remember that some 30% of the world’s (seaborne) crude oil passes through the Straits. If the waters are becoming unsafe, the supply to the entire Western world could be at risk,” the organization said in a statement on Thursday as cited by Reuters.
Earlier in the day, oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, which is separated from the Persian Gulf by the narrow Strait of Hormuz, reportedly came under attack. One of the vessels was allegedly hit by a torpedo, but details about the incidents are still unclear.
“Suspicious doesn’t begin to describe what likely transpired this morning,” the Iranian diplomat wrote on Twitter.
The alleged incidents have fueled crude supplies fears. Futures for both oil benchmarks, WTI and Brent, soared nearly 4 percent, trading $53.07 and $62.31 per barrel correspondingly as of 12:08 GMT on Thursday.