From gCaptain, March 1:
The world’s most vital energy artery is under siege. Following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military commanders, the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly 20% of global oil supply flows—has become a war zone, forcing major shipping lines to halt operations and sending hundreds of vessels to seek shelter in open waters.
The escalation has been swift. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with sustained missile and drone attacks targeting both military installations and commercial shipping across the region. Three U.S. service members have been killed in action, while Iranian strikes on civilian vessels mark an ominous expansion of the conflict’s scope.
President Trump confirmed the sinking of nine Iranian naval vessels in a social media post, declaring: “We are going after the rest – They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters.”
U.S. Central Command previously confirmed the sinking of an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette at a pier in Chah Bahar during the opening hours of the operation, which the Trump Administration is calling Operation Epic Fury.
The impact on commercial shipping has been immediate and severe. Within 24 hours, at least three tankers had been struck by missiles or drones in what maritime security officials describe as indiscriminate attacks. The oil tanker Skylight was hit 5 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, forcing crew evacuation and injuring four. The crude carrier MKD Vyom took a projectile strike above the waterline, sparking an engine room fire that was later controlled. A third vessel, the Sea La Donna, also reported an attack.
Concerningly, the Joint Maritime Information Center has “found no association that would make these vessels a viable candidate for targeting and attack,” underscoring that merchant ships of any flag or nationality now face existential risk in Gulf waters.
The JMIC has elevated the regional threat level to CRITICAL—its highest classification—warning that “an attack is almost certain.” While Iran has not formally closed the Strait of Hormuz, the operational reality reflects “active kinetic hazard conditions” throughout the waterway.
Major shipping companies have responded with unprecedented action. Maersk announced it is “suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice,” while also rerouting its ME11 and MECL services around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping has taken even more drastic measures....
....MUCH MORE
