Iran strikes tanker under U.S. Navy escort in Hormuz

Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to just three ships on Wednesday, down from 12 the day before and well below the 10-day average of roughly 17, according to preliminary ship-tracking data from Kpler cited by Baird Maritime. The collapse came as a tanker transiting under U.S. Navy escort was struck in the waterway, marking another escalation in the war that has effectively closed one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.bairdmaritime

A Convoy Hit Under Escort

The UK Maritime Trade Operations center confirmed a security incident on September 17 located 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, reporting that the crew of the targeted vessel was safe and no environmental damage had been detected. The strike followed a salvo of anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Iran's southern coast while three U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tankers operated overhead. Surrounding traffic was advised to transit with extreme caution.investinglive

The hit on a vessel moving under direct U.S. Navy protection through the American-backed southern Omani corridor represents a sharp escalation, demonstrating that even organized convoy operations cannot guarantee safe passage. Before the conflict began in late February, roughly 125 large commercial vessels passed through the strait daily. That figure has since collapsed to single digits on many days, with some vessels switching off their transponders to avoid detection.container-news+2

Global Energy Routes Redrawn

The disruption extends well beyond the strait itself. Houthi forces in Yemen have seized key positions along the Red Sea coast, locking down the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while a mid-September drone strike shut down Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline — the kingdom's primary bypass route to its Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu. The International Energy Agency has estimated that the combined impact has removed roughly 4 percent of global oil supply from the market.investinglive

Supertanker Boom Signals Long-Term Shift

The rerouting of global crude flows has triggered a historic shipbuilding wave. Reuters reported on September 17 that shipowners have ordered 217 Very Large Crude Carriers so far in 2026, more than double the 93 ordered in all of 2025, in a spree worth over $20 billion. VLCC spot rates have climbed above $500,000 per day, up from about $132,000 in February before the war, according to Allied Shipbroking.investing+1

"We believe owners betting on increased long-haul shipments from the Atlantic to Asia are playing a large part in the renewed demand for VLCC ordering," said Rebecca Galanopoulos, senior analyst at Veson Nautical. New contracts extend into 2029 and 2030, suggesting the industry expects the shift away from Middle Eastern supply routes to persist well beyond any ceasefire.reuters+1