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Major Disruptions Around The Strait of
Hormuz Cause Shipping Issues
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QUOTE:
Iran’s most powerful weapon is not a bomb. It is the geography it controls.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow shipping corridor between Iran and Oman. If that passage is effectively closed or significantly restricted for any sustained period, the economic consequences could rival those of a major military escalation.
Markets are already reacting to the possibility. West Texas Intermediate crude oil has soared past $110 per barrel as traders price in rising geopolitical risk. But that move may only represent the early stages of a potential energy shock if tensions escalate further.
The real issue is not simply higher fuel prices. It is the vulnerability of a global energy system that depends heavily on a handful of critical transit routes. (emphasis added)
Excerpted from Forbes.com – https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2026/03/09/irans-real-nuclear-option-isnt-a-bomb-its-the-strait-of-hormuz/
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Maersk Has 10 Ships Trapped in Gulf, Running Short of Fuel in Asia
Danish containership major A.P. Moller-Maersk has 10 ships trapped in the Persian Gulf and would need at least a week to 10 days to resume normal operations in the event of a cease-fire, CEO Vincent Clerc told The Wall Street Journal.
Brokers say there are more than 100 boxships trapped in the Gulf, with the Jebel Ali port in Dubai a distribution hub for the Middle East.
Some ports in Asia are running low on ship fuel, and oil-supply issues threaten to limit calls by containerships that move everything from cars to electronics and home goods.
“The longer the strait stays closed, the more the replenishing of oil inventories in Asia becomes a challenge,” Clerc said.
If Maersk can’t get fuel in Asia, it will have to charter tankers to bring it in and the extra cost will be reflected in higher freight rates. Daily charter rates for supertankers are at near record levels of more than $400,000.
Excerpted from WSJ.com
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Three ships in Strait of Hormuz hit by ‘unknown projectiles’
Three cargo vessels have been hit by “unknown projectiles” in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime authorities say, as pressure intensifies on one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
Traffic through the strait – a vital corridor for oil – has fallen sharply since Israel and the US attacked Iran in late February, sending global energy prices soaring.
Iran said it unleashed another volley of retaliatory attacks across the Gulf on Wednesday, with targets including a major oilfield in Saudi Arabia and drones falling near Dubai International Airport.
Earlier, the US said it had “eliminated” 16 ships capable of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
There have been 13 suspected Iranian attacks on vessels operating around the Gulf since the war began.
On Wednesday, Thailand’s navy said it was providing emergency assistance after a Thai-flagged vessel was hit 11 nautical miles north of Oman, causing a fire on board. In a statement, the Royal Thai Navy said the ship’s 23 crew members were being rescued.
Meanwhile, a Japan-flagged container ship sustained minor damage after it was struck 46km (around 25 nautical miles) off the United Arab Emirates coast, maritime security firm Vanguard told the BBC.
And a third cargo vessel was hit 93km (around 50 nautical miles) north-west of Dubai, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The cause of the attacks are being investigated.
The UKMTO has urged all ships passing through the area to “transit with caution”.
Excerpted from BBC.com
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