Three oil tankers caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel; Ambrey Maritime Security confirmed the incident, and NASA has recorded three active fire spots in the area.
The cost of transporting oil by supertankers from the Persian Gulf to East Asia has increased by 60 percent in the wake of rising tensions between Iran and Israel. The ship booking market has been brought to a virtual standstill, with many Iranian tankers moving further away from ports, as the risk of crossing the Strait of Hormuz and concerns about disruption to maritime traffic have increased.
Rejecting rumors of an attack or sabotage in the recent fire incident on three oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, Ambrey Maritime Security Company announced that the incident was not a "security" incident and likely occurred due to a technical collision between two vessels.
Experts say that if Iranian oil exports are disrupted, Chinese refineries will be forced to use alternative oil from the Middle East or Russia, which will increase freight rates, tanker insurance, reduce the Brent-Dubai price differential, and put pressure on refinery profit margins, especially in Asia.
According to data from the international institute Kpler, total exports of crude oil and petroleum products through the Strait of Hormuz reached more than 21 million barrels per day in May 2025.
Reuters reported in an exclusive report that gas production in Phase 14 of the South Pars Joint Field - the world's largest gas field - has been partially halted following an Israeli airstrike on Iranian energy facilities.
As reciprocal attacks between Iran and Israel escalated and vital energy facilities were targeted, a wave of concern swept through the Persian Gulf stock markets; the region's stock markets faced a significant decline.
The unprecedented growth of outsourcing in Iran's oil industry is a wake-up call that experts consider a threat to the safety and productivity of the industry. Referring to the outsourcing of activities in this area, Shahriar Aghaei, a member of the Board of Directors of the Oil Fund, said that due to the lack of adequate supervision and the nature of contractors who seek greater economic benefits, safety issues in the workplace are less addressed, which results in numerous accidents in the oil industry.
Recently, there has been news of CNG stations being closed in the country, the statistics of which were announced by members of the CNG Industry Association, but the director of CNG projects in the country says that no stations have been closed.
New members of the Implementation Board have not been introduced, and there are even whispers of its closure. This uncertainty has caused damage to oil projects, especially the suspension of the Azadegan Integrated Development Contract.