Marine Link
Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Crude Oil Tanker News

04 May 2026

UAE Accuses Iran of Attacking Empty Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

© StockMarketVisuals - stock.adobe.com

The United Arab Emirates on Monday accused Iran of attacking an empty crude oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi state oil firm ADNOC with drones as it attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.ADNOC's maritime energy logistics unit said the Barakah was empty when it was attacked by two drones, and no injuries were reported."The UAE further stressed the need for Iran to halt these unprovoked attacks, ensure its full commitment to an immediate cessation of all hostilities…

04 May 2026

Two US Missile Destroyers Enter Gulf, Two American Ships Crossed Hormuz

© Adobe Stock/Peter Hermes Furian

The U.S. military said two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf to break an Iranian blockade and that two U.S. merchant ships had transited the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran said it had prevented a U.S. warship entering the Gulf.U.S. Central Command said its forces were supporting President Donald Trump's "Project Freedom", which aims to "guide out" commercial ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, and were enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.The intervention appeared to raise the risk of a direct confrontation between the U.S.

04 May 2026

UKMTO Reports Cargo Vessel Fire Near Dubai

© Adobe Stock/ytemha34

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday it had received a report of an incident involving a cargo vessel about 36 nautical miles north of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.The vessel reported a fire in its engine room, the cause of which was not immediately known, UKMTO said in its advisory note, adding that all crew were safe and accounted for.In a separate incident, UKMTO said it had received another report of an incident 14 nautical miles west of United Arab Emirates' Mina Saqr.A third party informed UKMTO that a "vessel was on fire…

05 Apr 2026

Ukrainian Drones Sink Russian Cargo Vessel

© Peter Hermes Furian / Adobe Stock

A cargo ship carrying wheat sank in the Sea of Azov after coming under attack from Ukrainian drones, a Russia-installed official said on Sunday, leaving one person dead and two missing.Vladimir Saldo, Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine's Kherson region, said the attack occurred on Friday but crew members were unable to make known what had happened to them until Sunday."It became known that the reason for the sinking of the Volgo-Balt in the Sea of Azov was a terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime…

31 Mar 2026

How Many Ships have been Attacked in the Gulf Since Start of Iran War?

Source: social media

The Iran war has threatened Gulf ports and disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned that ships passing through the narrow Strait will be targeted, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the country on February 28.Below is a list of reported attacks:MARCH 1A crew member was killed on board Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker MKD VYOM after it was hit by a projectile as the vessel sailed off the Omani coast…

31 Mar 2026

Drone Strike on Kuwaiti Oil Tanker off Dubai Signals Further Escalation in Gulf

© Nightman1965 / Adobe Stock

Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged.The attack was the latest on merchant vessels in the strait…

30 Mar 2026

Kuwaiti Tanker Ablaze in Dubai Port

© HyperlapsePro / Adobe Stock

Iran attacked a fully-loaded crude oil tanker at Dubai Port's anchorage on Monday, setting it ablaze and damaging its hull, Kuwait's state news agency reported, citing Kuwait Petroleum Corp, which warned of a possible oil spill.The apparent strike is just the latest in a string of assaults on merchant vessels by missiles or explosive air and sea drones in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.U.S. crude futures CLc1 rose more than…

26 Mar 2026

Turkish Tanker Hit by Drone in Black Sea after Departing Russia

© Nightman1965 / Adobe Stock

A marine drone struck a Turkish crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Turkey's transportation minister said.The incident, one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports, occurred in the early hours, minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told broadcaster Kanal 24.All 27 crew were safe, he said, adding that the coastguard had been dispatched to the vessel…

20 Mar 2026

Indian Gas Tankers Prepare to Sail Through Strait of Hormuz

© Adobe Stock/PX Media

Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers are preparing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz in coming days after a pause in voyages, with no crude oil tankers having transited the waterway in the past 24 hours, according to shipping data and sources.Hundreds of vessels have dropped anchor since Tehran threatened to attack ships attempting to leave the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flow.The two tankers were currently anchored in Gulf waters…

17 Mar 2026

List of Vessels Attacked Since Start of War in Iran

Copyright ImageBank4U/AdobeStock

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has threatened Gulf ports and disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned that any ship passing through the narrow Strait will be targeted.Below is a list of reported attacks since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28:MARCH 1A crew member was killed on board Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker MKD VYOM after it was hit by a projectile as the vessel sailed off the Omani coast…

10 Mar 2026

US Navy Says Escorts Not Possible but Destroys Mine-Layers

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Navy has refused near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war on Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high for now, according to sources familiar with the matter.The Navy's assessments spell continued disruption to Middle East oil exports and reflect a divergence from President Donald Trump’s statements that the U.S. is prepared to provide naval escorts whenever needed to restart regular…

06 Mar 2026

LPG Tankers Redirected to Fill Up in US

© Adobe Stock/Александр Беспалый

Tankers set to load liquefied petroleum gas from the Middle East redirected to fill up in the United States, ship tracking data showed, the latest signs of shipping and supply disruptions stemming from an escalating U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.Here are some details:Tanker Gas Bombax, which was previously signaling Qatar Ras Laffan, redirected in the Gulf of Oman and was now signaling Marcus Hook Terminal, operated by Energy Transfer, on the east coast of the United States, according…

05 Mar 2026

Multiple Tankers Under Attack in Gulf Waters as US-Iran Conflict Escalates

© Adobe Stock/skyNext

More tankers came under attack in Gulf waters on Thursday as the U.S.–Iran war escalated, and Iranian drones entered Azerbaijan, threatening to spread the crisis to more oil producers in the region.A Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker was targeted by an Iranian remote-controlled boat laden with explosives while anchored near Iraq's Khor al Zubair port, according to initial assessments. A second tanker at anchor off Kuwait was taking on water and spilling oil after a large explosion on its port side.Nine vessels have come under attack since the conflict broke out between the U.S.…

03 Mar 2026

Saudi Arabia Tries to Divert Oil to Red Sea

© moofushi / Adobe Stock

Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco is attempting to reroute some of its crude exports to the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, where the risk of Iranian attacks has slowed shipping to a near halt, sources said on Tuesday.Saudi Arabia and other regional Gulf oil producers, such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq, have been unable to move oil through the Strait since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Friday. Hundreds of ships have anchored on either side of the Strait as a precaution…

24 Feb 2026

US Seizes Third Indian Ocean Oil Tanker

© Adobe Stock/STOCKSTUDIO

U.S. military forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean waters, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, adding that it was the third such interdiction in that region.After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military raid last month in Caracas, Washington has escalated its blockade on vessels that are under sanctions and going to and from the South American country, a member of the OPEC oil producers' group.In a post on X, the U.S. Department of Defense said its forces boarded the Bertha overnight.

09 Feb 2026

US Boards Another Venezuela-Linked Tanker in Indian Ocean without incident

© Adobe Stock/moofushi

U.S. military forces boarded a crude oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after pursuing it from the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday, accusing the vessel of breaching Washington's blockade on sanctioned vessels traveling to or from Venezuela."Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident " Hegseth wrote in a post on X. "It ran, and we followed."After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military raid last month in Caracas, the U.S.

09 Feb 2026

U.S. Military Boards Suezmax Tanker Aquila II

A Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) crew member observes the oil tanker Bella 1 in the North Atlantic Ocean, Jan. 6, 2026. Munro’s crew monitored the vessel until it was seized by Coast Guard deployable specialized forces, with support from the Department of War, after Bella 1 violated U.S. sanctions and resisted initial boarding attempts off coastal Venezuela in late December. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

U.S. military forces boarded a crude oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after pursuing it from the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday, accusing the vessel of breaching Washington's blockade on sanctioned vessels traveling to or from Venezuela."Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident " Hegseth wrote in a post on X. "It ran, and we followed."After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military raid last month in Caracas, the U.S.

06 Feb 2026

Report: Tanker Didn’t Stop After Trawler Collision

Source: MAIB

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its investigation report into the collision between the crude oil tanker Apache and the stern trawler Serinah (GH 116) in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland on 25 April 2024.At about 1503 on 25 April 2024, the crude oil tanker Apache and the stern trawler Serinah collided in the Firth of Clyde resulting in Serinah sinking rapidly. All three of the fishing vessel’s crew were able to abandon ship to the liferaft and were uninjured.When the collision happened Serinah was fishing a seabed depression in the middle of the Firth of Clyde…

10 Dec 2025

Trump Administration Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuela Coast

© Dmitri / Adobe Stock

The U.S. has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, a move that sent oil prices higher and sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Caracas"We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening," said Trump, who has been pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down.Asked what would happen with the oil, Trump said: "We keep it, I guess."Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.

30 Sep 2025

France Investigates Suspected Shadow Fleet Tanker Anchored Off Coast

© Yaroslav / Adobe Stock

The French Navy said on Tuesday that authorities were investigating a possible infraction by the oil tanker Boracay, a vessel suspected of belonging to the so-called "shadow fleet" involved in the Russian oil trade.The vessel is listed under British and European Union sanctions against Russia. It was detained by Estonian authorities earlier this year for sailing without a valid country flag. Shadow fleet tankers typically have opaque ownership and insurance and are often more than 20 years old.The crude oil tanker left the Russian port of Primorsk on September 20…

27 Jan 2026

Captain of Seized Tanker Now Aboard US Vessel

© Faraways / Adobe Stock

The captain of a Venezuela-linked crude oil tanker seized by the U.S. this month has been taken from British territorial waters and is now aboard a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, a lawyer for the captain's wife said on Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. military special forces, bearing a judicial seizure warrant, apprehended the Russian-flagged Marinera in the Atlantic near Iceland on January 7 after pursuing it for more than two weeks as part of Washington's efforts to block Venezuelan oil exports.After its capture…

20 Aug 2025

CMB.TECH Completes Merger with Golden Ocean

Source: Golden Ocean

CMB.TECH has successfully completed the stock-for-stock merger between Golden Ocean Group Limited and CMB.TECH Bermuda, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMB.TECH, with CMB.TECH Bermuda Ltd. as the surviving company, and with CMB.TECH as the issuer of the merger consideration shares. CMB.TECH has issued 95,952,934 new ordinary shares by means of a capital increase by contribution in kind. These shares will be delivered to former holders of Golden Ocean shares as merger consideration at the exchange ratio of 0.95 ordinary shares of CMB.TECH for each common share of Golden Ocean.

24 Nov 2025

Acts of Bravery at Sea Honored at Annual IMO Awards Ceremony

© IMO

Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from the Republic of Korea, has been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his heroic actions that saved 12 fellow crew members from the Geum Seong No. 135 when it sunk in November 2024. He was honored during a special ceremony recognizing seafarers held in London on November 24, 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly taking place from November 24 to December 3, 2025. IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr.