Giant oil tanker attacked and set ablaze - and the timing is alarming

A giant oil tanker caught fire in the Red Sea, hours after another tanker was hit by several bullets north of Qatar's coast. The suspicion of an Iranian attack is being investigated, and concern is growing over the expansion of the threat to oil routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

A giant oil tanker caught fire in the Red Sea, hours after another tanker was hit by several bullets about 51 nautical miles north of Qatar's coast. The burning tanker was identified in reports as the Dhalkut, a vessel about 336 meters long with a carrying capacity of about 300,000 tons, sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and linked to Omani shipping companies. According to maritime tracking reports, a large fire broke out on its deck in an area that serves as a central route for tankers bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. At this stage, no official confirmation of the cause of the fire has been published, but monitoring sources have raised the possibility that the tanker was hit in an Iranian attack. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported casualties in the previous attack, although further details have not yet been released. The importance of the Fujairah area stems from the fact that it is outside the Strait of Hormuz and serves as a central hub for oil export, storage, and refueling. The UAE has infrastructure that allows oil to flow from Abu Dhabi fields directly to the Fujairah coast, thus bypassing the strait in case of disruptions. Any attack in the area is perceived as a threat not only to individual vessels but also to one of the main alternatives designed to reduce dependence on the narrow and sensitive international passage.