Breaking news from the Strait of Hormuz! Iran: An oil tanker forcibly entered and was hit; two major shipping giants announce: suspension

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According to CCTV News, on the morning of March 7th, local time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran announced that a commercial oil tanker named “PRIMA” ignored multiple warnings from the Revolutionary Guard Navy and forcibly entered the Strait of Hormuz, after which it was struck by a drone.

Earlier, Iranian military spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi stated on the evening of the 6th, “We reaffirm the security of the Strait of Hormuz and confirm our control over it, but we will not close it.” Shekarchi also said that ships related to Israel or the United States are not allowed to pass.

According to CCTV Finance, citing The Wall Street Journal on the 6th, Danish shipping company Maersk and German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced that, due to escalating regional conflicts threatening safe navigation, they would suspend several major Middle Eastern shipping routes.

On the 6th, Maersk stated that based on the latest risk assessments and operational reviews, considering the impact of the Gulf region conflict escalation on navigation safety, they decided to suspend services connecting the Middle East with Europe and the Far East, as well as shuttle routes in the Gulf region. On the same day, Hapag-Lloyd also announced the suspension of multiple Middle Eastern routes, including Oman Gulf shuttle services and routes connecting Asia with the Persian Gulf, India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Hapag-Lloyd also said it would introduce new services to ensure operational stability but did not disclose specific details.

Shipping experts believe that this widespread suspension directly affects the flow of goods between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, and also increases the risk of disruption to Middle Eastern trade corridors.

Relevant experts also pointed out that several container shipping companies have fully suspended shipping services in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, which not only directly impacts company revenues but also propagates through rising freight costs and supply chain delays to downstream manufacturing and consumer goods industries, increasing inflationary pressures.

On March 6th, local time, international oil prices surged sharply, with U.S. crude oil futures closing up 12.67% at $91.27 per barrel.

Brent crude oil rose by 9.26%, closing at $93.32 per barrel.

The ongoing escalation of Middle Eastern geopolitical conflicts and disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are directly impacting global crude oil supply. According to a report released by the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) on March 6th, recent assessments of shipping signals in the Strait of Hormuz indicate that the number of ships passing through has dropped to single digits, with only two confirmed commercial passages observed in the past 24 hours.

On March 6th, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Saad Sherida al-Kaabi stated that Qatar has halted liquefied natural gas production, and even if the conflict ends immediately, it will take several weeks to months for Qatar to return to normal supply levels.

Kaabi predicted that all energy-exporting countries in the Gulf region could cease oil and gas production within a few weeks.

Compiled from: CCTV News, CCTV Finance, etc.

(Source: Securities Times)