Iran strikes Gulf states as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens

14:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Iran strikes Gulf states as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens

Iran has expanded missile and drone attacks across Gulf states as the conflict involving the United States and Israel enters its third week, disrupting global oil supplies and pushing crude prices above 100 dollars per barrel.

The escalation has effectively paralyzed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime corridor through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil normally passes. Ship traffic through the waterway has collapsed from about 138 vessel transits per day to roughly two, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have declared the strait closed and carried out attacks on at least ten vessels since the war began on February 28. The International Maritime Organization reported that seven crew members have been killed in those incidents. Insurers have withdrawn war risk coverage from the area, leaving hundreds of vessels stranded on both sides of the strategic route.

Oil markets have reacted sharply to the disruption. Brent crude settled at 103.14 dollars per barrel on Friday after briefly climbing close to 120 dollars earlier in the day. Prices have risen roughly 40 percent since the conflict began, reaching levels not seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright said there is no certainty that oil prices will fall soon. He warned that reopening the strait depends on eliminating Iran’s capacity to threaten maritime traffic.

Energy producers across the Gulf have begun declaring force majeure on shipments. Qatar cited disruptions affecting energy exports, while Iraq reduced oil production because of limited transport capacity. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait have also faced growing difficulties loading crude for export.

The OPEC+ alliance responded by raising production by about 206,000 barrels per day. Analysts, however, say the increase is far from sufficient to offset the scale of the disruption.

The conflict has also spread across the Gulf region. Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, marking the first time Tehran has targeted all members simultaneously, according to conflict monitoring group ACLED.

Bahrain said its defenses intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of hostilities. Saudi Arabia reported destroying ten drones over Riyadh and the eastern region in a single day. Iranian strikes have killed at least a dozen civilians across Gulf countries, many of them migrant workers, according to the Associated Press.

On March 13, United States Central Command carried out strikes on Iranian military installations on Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude oil export hub. The attacks reportedly destroyed missile and naval mine storage facilities.

Iran’s joint military command responded by threatening to target oil, economic, and energy infrastructure linked to the United States across the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Washington of launching attacks from bases in the United Arab Emirates, describing the escalation as dangerous.

International pressure is increasing to reopen the strait. President Donald Trump has called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to deploy naval forces alongside United States ships to secure the shipping route.

Leaders of the Group of Seven are also considering what could become the largest coordinated release of strategic oil reserves ever attempted, though analysts say such a measure would only provide temporary relief to global markets.

Despite the disruption, Iran continues shipping limited volumes of crude oil to China through the strait. Shipping trackers estimate that around 11 million barrels have moved since the war began, a small fraction of prewar flows.

Iran’s Health Ministry says more than 1,200 people have been killed in United States and Israeli strikes since the start of the conflict, while 13 American service members have also died. The United Nations refugee agency estimates that as many as 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran.