Bulk carriers carrying elemental sulphur cargoes in the Strait of Hormuz are at significant risk of accelerated structural corrosion, with some vessels having remained at anchorage for more than three times the standard cargo protection period, according to a leading marine consultancy expert.
The US and Iran held indirect technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.
Conflicting signals from Washington and Tehran over the next phase of US-Iran negotiations have cast fresh uncertainty over efforts to consolidate a fragile ceasefire, even as commercial shipping continues to move cautiously through Strait of Hormuz.
A tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, as US-Iran tensions flared over the vital global energy shipping route, said media reports. Bahrain was also targeted in a drone attack in Tehran’s likely response to overnight airstrikes by the US.
The US military launched a new series of airstrikes on Friday after Tehran struck a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz with a drone, thus presenting a fresh test for the fragile ceasefire, said media reports, even as Israel and Lebanon reached a framework deal for peace.
The Sultanate of Oman has co-ordinated with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to establish a temporary maritime corridor for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, said a report. It will be available to all vessels based on navigational co-ordinates announced by IMO and Omani authorities.
At least 13 people have been killed and 66 injured after an explosion at Qatar's largest gas facility in Ras Laffan industrial zone on Sunday night, according to the country's interior ministry. The blast occurred as workers were restarting operations that were previously halted in March.
The US and Iran have signaled that an agreement to end their war was close, with a senior US administration official saying both sides had agreed on a text and that Washington expects to sign an initial deal soon, said media reports. Hours after the White House statement on the deal, the US military had it had downed multiple Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices eased slightly on Tuesday after jumping about 6% yesterday following increased hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said his patience with Iran was running out and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed during their talks in Beijing that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
