.jpg)
1 hour ago
4
Article content
(Bloomberg) — The US military has hit a supertanker deep within the Persian Gulf near Iran’s key oil export terminal, its first attack on a vessel since it reimposed its blockade of the country’s shipping.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
An American aircraft fired missiles at the unladen and US-sanctioned Belma, after the vessel repeatedly ignored warnings that it was violating the blockade by sailing through international waters toward Kharg Island, the Central Command said in a social-media post early Thursday.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The operation so deep within the gulf, far from the Strait of Hormuz, may signal the US is widening the scope from its first blockade. That was focused on intercepting vessels attempting to cross an American-imposed blockade line beyond the waterway in the Gulf of Oman.
Article content
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
“While this is new in terms of the implementation occurring within the gulf, it’s still consistent with their stated goal of blockading all Iranian ports and coastal areas,” said Jennifer Parker, an adjunct professor at the University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute.
Article content
Ship-tracking data showed the Belma sailing north toward Kharg late on Wednesday, before first making a slight deviation to the northwest, and then a sharp turn away from the island early on Thursday after it was hit.
Article content
The strike comes amid heightened tensions in Hormuz and surrounding waters. Recent attacks by Iran on vessels in the waterway have forced shipowners to rethink plans to transit and have pushed gulf oil and gas producers to review plans to ramp up exports. The head of the International Energy Agency warned that the global economy might once again be in peril if the conflict that’s choking the strait wasn’t resolved in a matter of weeks.
Article content
Article content
Visible traffic through the strait remained light on Thursday. A US-sanctioned liquefied petroleum gas carrier made an outbound transit with its transponder turned on, while an Iran-bound bulk carrier loaded with soybean meal crossed into the Persian Gulf. The US Navy said it would allow shipments of bulk food, medical supplies, and other goods necessary to the survival of Iran’s civilian population through the blockade once it vets the vessel’s requests to transit.
Article content
Centcom said in the post that it had redirected two compliant commercial vessels and disabled one non-compliant ship in the first 24 hours of the new blockade, which took effect from 4 p.m. Washington time on Tuesday.
Article content
Kharg Island is key to Tehran’s efforts to earn oil-export revenue. Since the interim peace deal was signed in mid-June, there were at least 11 shipments of oil and petrochemicals loaded from the island, according to nonprofit organization United Against Nuclear Iran. A supertanker was observed loading crude from Kharg on Wednesday.
Article content
English (US)