BREAKING: Iran Strikes Own Shadow Fleet Tanker in Hormuz Chaos – Oil Markets on Edge
Iran reportedly struck the Palau-flagged tanker Skylight with a drone attack off Oman’s Musandam peninsula, near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
Four crew members were reported injured out of a 20-person crew (15 Indian nationals and 5 Iranian nationals). The entire crew was evacuated. Footage circulating online shows the vessel ablaze, with thick black smoke rising from the deck.
The incident marks the first reported tanker strike in or near the Strait amid Iran’s retaliatory actions following US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Iran had previously declared the Strait closed to international navigation. Some reports suggest the vessel may have been part of a so-called “shadow fleet” used to transport sanctioned Iranian oil, though details remain fluid and independently unconfirmed.
Shipping activity in the region has slowed sharply. Reports indicate dozens of crude and product tankers idling in the Gulf to avoid entering the high-risk zone. Major shipping firms are reassessing transit routes. Brent crude prices have risen amid fears of prolonged disruption, with analysts warning of further spikes if instability continues.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying roughly 20 percent of global oil flows. Any sustained disruption could have broad economic ripple effects across energy, shipping, and financial markets.
Markets are now closely watching whether the situation stabilizes—or escalates further.
