Two fuel tankers burned near Iraq’s Basra port on Thursday after what Iraqi authorities said were suspected Iranian explosive boat attacks.
The attacks came hours after other commercial ships were hit in nearby Gulf waters. At least one crew member was killed and Iraqi officials said the strike stopped operations at all of the country’s oil terminals.
The attacks happened as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei gave his first public message since taking over from his slain father.
Iraqi authorities said his message showed there would be no drop in pressure. In remarks read on state television, he said the Strait of Hormuz should stay shut and warned that US bases in the region should close or face attack.
The latest violence shows a growing threat to merchant shipping in one of the world’s most important energy routes.
Several vessels were struck across the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz including a Thai flagged bulk carrier that caught fire after it was hit while moving through the waterway.
Maritime security firms and regional officials said the incidents are making the area more dangerous for crews and cargo moving through it.
The strait runs along Iran’s coast and carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply that means any disruption there is a major risk for energy markets.
Oil prices climbed back above $100 a barrel after the latest attacks with the International Energy Agency describing the conflict as the biggest disruption to global energy supplies on record.
The new statement from Tehran also weakened repeated claims from US President Donald Trump that the war is effectively over.
While Trump has said the United States has won, Washington has not set out a clear plan to reopen the strait or end the fighting.
With ships burning, terminals shut and fresh threats from Tehran, the outlook for Gulf shipping and global oil flows remains tense.
