Vesti Baku
Iran said seven oil tankers were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz as attacks on shipping and Saudi infrastructure pushed Brent crude 4% higher to $113.17 a barrel and prompted Saudi Aramco to evacuate employees from its Dhahran headquarters.
Iranian state television reported the tanker incidents, citing the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Associated Press said the claims could not be independently verified.
Four Tankers Reportedly Burned, Three Hit Mines
According to Tehran’s account, four tankers were attacked and caught fire while transferring oil. Three other vessels were allegedly damaged and disabled after striking naval mines.
Iran did not identify the ships’ flags or report whether anyone had been injured.
If confirmed, the events would represent the largest number of tankers damaged in a single day in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran-U.S. war began on February 28.
The British maritime monitoring agency UKMTO had not recorded the latest incidents. Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported that some operators were continuing to move oil through the strait at night, switching off location systems and mobile phones while using a U.S.-protected route near Oman’s coast.
Saudi Aramco Evacuates Headquarters
Saudi Aramco ordered employees to leave its Dhahran headquarters and work remotely, Reuters reported, citing six informed sources.
It was the facility’s first full evacuation since the war began. The company did not publicly give a reason for the decision.
The Dhahran complex manages onshore and offshore production, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometers of pipelines. The building had already sustained major damage in a Houthi strike earlier in October.
A day earlier, an attack on King Fahd International Airport in nearby Dammam killed two people, a Saudi citizen and an Indian citizen, and injured eight others. The Houthis claimed responsibility.
Oil Market Prices In Further Supply Risk
Brent futures rose $4.35 on October 22 to close at $113.17 a barrel, their highest settlement since May 4. U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 2.4% to $99.47.
Reuters attributed the jump to fears of further supply disruptions in one of the world’s most important oil-producing regions.
Saudi Aramco has increased the capacity of its East-West pipeline, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, from 2 million to 7 million barrels per day. Continued attacks on vessels and energy infrastructure, however, show that alternative routes have not eliminated the risk to global markets.
Originally published in Russian by Vesti Baku.