MariTrace, 9 July 2023
On 6 July the US Navy reported their intervention in an incident that took place in the Gulf of Oman in the early hours of 5 July, in which Iran’s navy had approached the chemical tanker TRF Moss (controlled by Hafnia Tankers and currently managed by Fleet Management HKG).
At about 4am local time also on 5 July, the US Navy received a distress call from another tanker in the same area, the Richmond Voyager. AIS data suggests that the Richmond Voyager (currently owned by Maran Tankers, an independent shipping firm in Greece and managed by Chevron, a US oil company) had departed Ras Tannurah, on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, on 30 June. Media reports from Iran claim that Richmond Voyager had collided with an Iranian flagged vessel on 5 July (the vessel is not named in publicly available sources), giving the Maritime Search and Rescue Center in Hormozgan Province cause to pursue the Richmond Voyager under court order and seek to detain the tanker, on 6 July.
The US Navy reported that they secured the release of Richmond Voyager. AIS data suggests both vessels are now continuing on their voyage to Singapore.
These incidents are the latest cases in a series of reported attacks on merchant ships and vessel detentions in the Strait of Hormuz (also known as 'Bab al-Salah', or 'gate of peace') that threaten international navigation, which generally stem from long-standing disagreement and difference of opinion among nation states on the interpretation of laws that apply in maritime navigation.
Navigating a safe route through these disputed claims is the routinely challenged by what appear to be increasing acts of aggression involving merchant vessels transiting the area.
On 28 April, Iran's navy seized Advantage Sweet, a Suezmax tanker owned by SPDB Financial (China) and controlled by Trafigura, a commodity trader in Denmark. Media reports note the tanker had been chartered by Chevron at the time of its capture, which followed a very similar pattern to the incident surrounding Richmond Voyager. Advantage Sweet is currently thought to be held at Bandar Abbas. On 3 May, Iran captured Niovi, citing a court order.
Incidents involving the security of oil tankers tend to fuel fears about a spike in oil prices and a surge in energy prices for end-consumers. The 'tanker war' that marked the conflict between Iran and Iraq from 1980-1988 initially reduced commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz by about 25% (and generated a sharp increase in the price of crude oil) but did not succeed in halting oil shipments, while the real global oil price actually decreased during that decade. The current pattern of attacks and aggression that began in 2018 is very different, taking form in the context of rising tensions between the US and Iran that entered a new phase in 2019. Analysis and response to recent events is further complicated by the advent of sophisticated manipulation of the media and information environment and the effects of efforts by Russia (and others) to circumvent sanctions. In the past, oil tankers have proven fairly resilient to physical attacks. Their owners and operators must now contend with many more threats in navigating this vital gateway for global energy security. While the perspectives of states on the interpretation of laws may vary - and cannot be resolved quickly - the practical consequences and impacts for ship owners and operators navigating this difficult region will increasingly require risk assessment based on trusted data.
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