The Persian Gulf has increasingly become a flash point between Iran and other actors in the area. Since the exit of the United States from the JCPOA there have been an increased number of incidents of shipping security in the Persian Gulf that involved Iran.
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U.S. military presenceSea depth
Sailing in the Strait of Hormuz which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman can be quite challenging.
The narrow strait is the exit point of at least 20 per cent of the worlds seaborne oil transit according to the US Energy Information Administration.
At is narrowest point it is only 50 kilometers wide and only 60 meters deep. The shipping lanes are also dotted with small but strategically important islands.
Mariners have to be on alert not to damage their ships while simultaneously avoiding Iranian territorial waters.
May 12, 2019
Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous - June 13, 2019
July 14, 2019
Stena Imperoa - July 19, 2019
IRGC seizes a foreign oil tanker - August 4, 2019
September 14,2019
Four oil tankers off the U.A.E. coast were attacked in a “sophisticated and coordinated” operation most likely conducted by a “state actor.”
Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Norway At UN Blame ‘State Actor’ For May 12 Tanker AttacksTwo commercial oil tankers were hit by explosions and caught fire in the Gulf of Oman, prompting the evacuation and rescue of dozens of crew members.
Two Oil Tankers Hit By Explosions In Gulf Of Oman; U.S. Blames IranFour days after the mysterious disappearance of an oil tanker Riah in the Persian Gulf, it turns out that (IRGC) has towed the ship to an Iranian island.
Oil Tanker Disappears In Persian Gulf, Ends Up At Iran’s Qeshm IslandIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has "confiscated" a British tanker, the Stena Impero, in the Strait of Hormuz for what it alleges was a failure "to respect international maritime rules."
The tanker was released by the Iran on September 27.
British-Flagged Tanker Reaches Dubai Port After Departing IranIRGC seizes a foreign oil tanker. IRGC commander Ramezan Zirah claims it was “smuggling fuel for some Arab countries."
Iran Says It Has Seized Another Foreign Oil TankerTwo large Saudi oil facilities were hit by an attack made up of rockets and drones according to local authorities. Attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities cause oil prices to jump more than 19 per cent
Iran Reacts With Denials, Threats As Evidence Surfaces
Military
Oil and Gas
Ports and Terminals
Sea depth