This post was republished with permission fromZero Hedge
Iranian Forces Open Fire On Tanker
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports that a tanker was “approached by 2 IRGC gunboats, with no VHF challenge, and then fired upon.”
UKMTO did not provide any further details about the two Iranian vessels that fired on the tanker or the type of weapons used in the maritime incident, which was reported to have occurred 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
Assume that President Trump is about to become absolutely furious on Truth Social. One can also assume that backchanneling and behind-the-scenes talks are not going well if an incident like this occurred ahead of the U.S.-Iran weekend negotiations.
The Trump administration’s “baffle ’em with bullshit”methodology has been on full display, as the reopening of the Hormuz chokepoint on Friday drove a broad risk-on in markets: US equities soared, crude collapsed, and Treasury yields declined, based on the assumption that disruption to global energy flows had eased. However, as of early Saturday morning, those moves may prove premature.
The Wall Street Journalreportsthat the world’s most important maritime chokepoint isonce again closed to commercial transit.
About 20 ships waiting to enter the Persian Gulf through the maritime chokepoint have turned back toward Oman after Iran’s military declared the waterway closed again, amid a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
And rejected: the two tankers taking the neutral route, Minerva Evropi and Nissos Keros, have turned around; the Sanmar Herald which appears to be taking the Iran-sanctioned Larak island route is proceeding.https://t.co/aceBI7ki0Bpic.twitter.com/gmkM37iA1U
The OSINT community on X is reporting a Hormuz closure as well…
Source: modernity
