Iran Strikes Tanker Owned By US-Based Company In Persian Gulf

At least one person is dead, and two oil tankers are burning in the Persian Gulf after what officials believe was an Iranian attack on the vessels.

Explosive-packed Iranian boats slammed into the tankers on Wednesday, according to Reuters, which cited the early findings of an Iraqi-led investigation into the blasts.

The ships may have been carrying up to 400,000 barrels of Iraqi oil, according to TankerTrackers.com.

Farhan al Fartousi, director general of the Iraqi Ports Company, told CNN that all 38 foreign crew members aboard the vessels had to be evacuated following the “explosions.”

Dramatic footage circulating online shows massive flames consuming the ships and spreading across the surrounding water — a sign that oil is leaking from the tankers, which had been anchored side by side before the strike, CNN reported.

The targeted vessels were identified as the Maltese-flagged Zefyros and the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu.

The Safesea Vishnu is owned by U.S.-based Safesea Transport Inc., while the Zefyros belongs to a Greek shipping company.

Footage shows the exact most of moment Safesea Vishnu, US-owned tanker, taking a direct hit last night in the northern Persian Gulf. Reports confirm it was in Iraqi waters near Basra, suspected Iranian boats, one Indian crew lost his life, rest safe but ships still burning.… pic.twitter.com/OEACriq0s2

— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) March 12, 2026

The suspected attack occurred within Iraq’s territorial waters near the Al Faw port outside Basra, according to Al Jazeera.

The strike comes as global energy markets remain on edge amid escalating hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran.

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Oil prices have surged this week over fears that the widening conflict could disrupt global supply.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz each day. The critical shipping lane sits about 600 miles south of Wednesday’s tanker attack.

Shipping through the strait has largely ground to a halt amid Operation Epic Fury and Iranian counterattacks, forcing some producers to scale back exports.

Iran’s regime has threatened to block oil tankers from passing through the narrow waterway.

In response, the U.S. military earlier this week destroyed more than a dozen Iranian vessels believed to be laying naval mines in the region.

President Trump has indicated he may tap the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to stabilize fuel prices if the disruption worsens.

The International Energy Agency separately said its 31 member nations are preparing to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to offset the supply shock.

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