All articles tagged with #tanker
An Iranian drone attack on the Kuwaiti-registered Al Salmi crude tanker anchored at Dubai port sparked a hull-damaging fire that was extinguished within hours; there were no injuries reported. The incident comes amid broader Gulf tensions and U.S. warnings about the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting the region's escalating conflict and energy-security concerns.
A fully laden Kuwaiti crude carrier, Al-Salmi, was struck by a drone off Dubai, igniting a fire that authorities later extinguished; no injuries were reported and a spill risk flagged by KPC is being assessed, as regional tensions with Iran fuel higher oil prices and continue to roil global markets amid threats to Iran’s energy facilities and Hormuz‑related tensions.
Libyan authorities towed a drifting Russian-flagged tanker—part of the so‑called shadow fleet—to avert a potentially disastrous oil spill off Libyan shores, with no immediate reports of casualties as salvage teams take control of the vessel.
Energy Secretary Wright posted and then deleted a claim that the US Navy escorted a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz; the White House press secretary denied the escort, saying the Navy has not escorted vessels and that such an option exists if needed. The incident highlights tensions around Hormuz transit in the context of the US-Iran conflict and volatility in global oil markets, with public skepticism toward the war.
The energy secretary’s deleted post claimed the Navy escorted a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, but White House officials and the DOE said no escort has occurred yet and the post was miscaptioned; officials say the Navy could be used if needed, as markets reacted to the conflicting claims.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it attacked a U.S. oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf, a claim that could be linked to an earlier tanker attack off Kuwait.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it struck a U.S. oil tanker in the northern Gulf, causing oil to spill into the sea off Kuwait. The tanker, reportedly anchored off Kuwait, had no crew injuries, while Iran warned vessels not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as global oil traffic through the chokepoint remains strained and tensions in the region intensify.
The United States indicted the captain of the tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) after a weekslong Atlantic chase for attempting to reach Venezuela and evading a Coast Guard boarding. The ship, which had renamed itself, displayed a Russian flag and was linked to Iranian oil sanctions-evasion activity before U.S. forces seized it near the U.K. on Jan. 7, part of a broader crackdown on Venezuela’s oil trade. The captain, Avtandil Kalandadze, faces two federal charges as the crew were detained; a UK judicial challenge by his wife was unsuccessful and officials did not immediately comment.
France released the tanker Grinch after its owner paid a multi‑million‑euro fine following its January seizure near Marseille over suspicions it belonged to Russia's sanctions‑busting shadow fleet. The ship, which sailed from Murmansk under a Comoros flag, had been immobilised for about three weeks at Fos-sur-Mer. The case highlights ongoing Western efforts to crack down on opaque, aging tankers used to evade sanctions, though the broader shadow fleet remains sizeable.
A Russian captain, Vladimir Motin, was found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter after his cargo ship Solong collided with the U.S.-bound Stena Immaculate in the North Sea in March 2025, killing Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia; a fire burned for eight days, 36 people were rescued, and Motin faces sentencing.
Families of 16 Indian seafarers aboard the Iran-seized MT Valiant Roar press Delhi for urgent consular access and the crew’s safe return, with 10 Indians jailed in Bandar Abbas and six still on board, as Tehran’s protests and regional tensions delay consular arrangements amid disputed cargo claims.
US authorities plan to prosecute the captain and first officer of the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera, seized in the North Atlantic for sanctions violations and escorted to Scotland; 26 crew members were repatriated while the two officers remain in US custody to face court.
Lawyers for Natia Dzadzama, wife of Marinera captain Avtandil Kalandadze, filed for judicial review in Edinburgh, arguing the US-held captain has been unlawfully detained in Scotland since January after the tanker was seized in UK waters. An interim interdict restricts removal of the captain and crew from Scottish jurisdiction while a full hearing is anticipated.
France, with UK tracking support, seized the oil tanker Grinch in the Mediterranean amid sanctions‑evasion concerns tied to Russia’s shadow fleet; authorities say the vessel, which sailed from Murmansk and was flying a questionable flag, illustrates Western efforts to choke off oil revenue funding Moscow’s war.
The US military said it seized the motor vessel Sagitta in the Caribbean, the seventh tanker intercepted linked to Venezuela amid Washington’s sanctions-enforcement push on Caracas’s oil shipments; the operation was conducted without incident as the administration hammers out how oil leaving Venezuela should be coordinated and lawful, a policy influenced by Trump’s broader focus on Venezuela and prior remarks about actions against Maduro.