Tehran launched an attack on a fully loaded crude oil tanker off the coast of Dubai on Tuesday, setting it ablaze, despite former U.S. President Donald Trump warning that the United States would destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure if a peace agreement was not reached and the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.
Dubai authorities confirmed that the Kuwait-flagged tanker, Al-Salmi, caught fire following what appeared to be a drone strike. The blaze was quickly brought under control, and no oil leaks or crew injuries were reported. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship’s owner, stated that the vessel’s hull suffered damage.
This assault is the latest in a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the strait, a crucial shipping route, since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28.
Tracking data indicated that the Al-Salmi was en route to Qingdao, China, carrying roughly 1.2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil and 800,000 barrels of Kuwaiti crude. Observers noted that the tanker may not have been the intended target; Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have targeted a container ship over alleged ties to Israel, likely referring to the Singapore-flagged Haiphong Express, which was anchored near the Al-Salmi.
The ongoing conflict has caused widespread regional disruption, claiming thousands of lives, destabilizing energy supplies, and threatening global economic stability. Following the tanker attack, crude oil prices briefly surged, reflecting the value of the approximately 2 million barrels aboard, worth more than $200 million at current rates.
With no signs of the assaults slowing, Pakistan has stepped in as a potential mediator. Its foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, was scheduled to hold discussions in China after engaging with Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia on the issue.
China, a key ally of Iran and its largest oil buyer, also called for an immediate halt to military operations. The country confirmed that three Chinese vessels had recently passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz, a corridor that normally handles about 20 percent of the world’s oil and LNG supplies.
Iran stated it received peace proposals from the U.S. via intermediaries, but a foreign ministry spokesperson described them as “unrealistic, illogical, and excessive.” Trump responded by saying the U.S. was now negotiating with a “more reasonable regime,” referring to new Iranian leaders, while reiterating that key Iranian oil facilities and Kharg Island would be destroyed if a deal was not reached and the strait reopened.
The absence of a resolution has prompted the European Union’s energy commissioner to caution member nations to prepare for an extended disruption in energy markets. Rising oil and fuel prices are also affecting U.S. household budgets, posing a political challenge for Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the November midterms.
Data from GasBuddy showed that the U.S. national average retail gasoline price surpassed $4 per gallon for the first time in over three years. Tightened global oil supplies pushed Brent crude up 56 percent in a single month, marking the largest monthly increase on record to over $113 per barrel.
The conflict is intensifying, with Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen launching attacks against Israel and Turkey reporting that a ballistic missile fired from Iran entered its airspace before being intercepted.
The fighting has reignited tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Iran, which has suffered the highest casualties, has also targeted Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. military bases. Iranian military officials said their recent strikes targeted “hideouts” of U.S. personnel in five regional bases and in Israel.
Explosions were reported in Dubai on Tuesday, while Saudi authorities noted limited damage from debris after a drone was intercepted in Kharj province. Residents in Tehran’s eastern Pirouzi district experienced power outages as blasts were heard, and a Shi’ite congregation hall in Zanjan, northwestern Iran, was struck, killing three. In southern Lebanon, Israel reported four soldiers killed, while two separate incidents claimed the lives of three U.N. peacekeepers from Indonesia.
Thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division have begun deploying to the Middle East, according to U.S. officials, as part of reinforcements that could allow for a potential ground operation in Iran.
The White House indicated that Trump was seeking a deal before the April 6 deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Reports suggested that he was willing to pause the military campaign even if the strait remained largely closed, leaving a complex operation to secure it at a later date. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera that the strait would be reopened “one way or another” following U.S. military action.