US strikes target multiple locations across Iran, while Iran carries out retaliatory attacks against US positions in the region between July 7 and 13
📍 Exchanges span key military and strategic areas, including Strait of Hormuz and northern Iran near Golestan and Mashhad
Never a dull day in this market. Obviously I wouldn’t take this seriously as for one there’s no real way to enforce a 20% toll on cargo value, and plus, for a VLCC that’s like $28-30+ million.
Honestly I have no clue what’s even going on anymore and I don’t think anyone really does.
Traffic through the Strait has collapsed again and i’m questioning how valid the supposed MOU even was to begin with because it seems like we are right back to where we started 2+ months ago
There’s obviously so much happening behind the scenes that we just don’t know, and at this point it’s incredibly difficult to make any calls on the situation.
With this conflict re-escalating it only adds more confusion and inefficiency to the market, adding upside to tanker rates. However, with flows potentially being cutoff from the AG again (plus Iranian barrels) oil prices will naturally increase as a result, which could deter China from continuing their increase of buying. This may slow or stop their demand increasing again in order to compensate for the supply loss in the market.
If this is the case it only adds more vessel supply dislocation and inefficiency to the market as more tonnage is now in the East with little available cargoes while waiting for chartering opportunities. Another factor as well, is that USG exports are declining from their peak as they have come back down to pre war levels as more barrels are forced to stay domestic to refill inventories despite SPR releases. Which means there’s about 1-1.5 million bpd less crude exports out of the USG compared to earlier in the war.
Which does translate to less tanker demand in the USG compared to previous months.
Although this whole situation is becoming more complex and calculating tanker demand is a mess, all this confusion does tend to support strong rates even if demand of physical cargoes and ton miles does decrease on paper. Confusion like this can also spike rates especially when vessel supply is unbalanced like this and arbs could swing in abrupt ways like seen in the beginning of the war.
We’ll have to see how this develops as things could seem much better just by the end of this week, who even knows at this point. But I still expect strong rates as they’ve been, and a whole lot of volatility in the market, but that shipping for you! #tankers #oott
Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations. Last night’s strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping.
"We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving... The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,”" - President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸
"We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving... The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,”" - President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸