Two oil tankers targeted in Gulf of Oman

Two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz were hit in suspected attacks on Thursday, the latest in a series of incidents amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States. The Front Altair, carrying petrochemical feedstock, caught fire after an explosion and burned for hours. The vessel’s Norwegian owner confirmed all 23 crew members were safe. In a separate incident, the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous tanker was targeted while traveling from Saudi Arabia to Singapore. Twenty-one sailors were evacuated, one with minor injuries. Cmdr. Joshua Frey, a U.S. Navy 5th Fleet spokesman, said the Navy was assisting the vessels after a “reported attack.”

Last month, the United States blamed Iran for an attack on four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Iran has denied the accusations. A third of globally traded oil passes through the strait. The unrest spiked Benchmark Brent crude on Thursday by about 4 percent to more than $62 a barrel.

The attacks come as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Iran, hoping to ease tensions with the United States. At the end of a one-on-one meeting with Abe, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States cannot impede its nuclear efforts. “You should know that if we planned to produce nuclear weapons, America could not do anything,” Khamenei said.