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Originally Posted by AirScotia
(Post 12083597)
Very interesting read - thanks, BonnieLass . Presumably the same problem applies to the other Gulf states too? Are there any empty tankers trapped in the Gulf or have they all been filled over the last two months?
One thing that has become apparent in regard to the other Gulf States, that the overland pipeline networks are working (the Saudi pipelines were damaged but are now fully operational again). In Saudi Arabia there is a crude pipeline from Al-Jubail on the Persian Gulf to Yanbu on the Red Sea and a natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline from Shedgum near Riyadh to Yanbu, Red Sea. There is also a network of pipelines from Ras Laffan, Qatar (Persian Gulf) to Fujairah, UAE (Gulf of Oman). Although these pipelines will not match the capacity of tankers sailing through the Gulf of Hormuz, they can at least get supplies of oil, oil products, LPG etc out to safe ports in the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman thus allowing empty tankers to be filled safely and permit safe passage to other countries. Iran do not have that access to the Red Sea and, obviously, their access to the Gulf of Oman is curtailed by the USN blockade of Iranian ports. Hence why they are struggling with the capacity of oil and oil products and LPG in regard to storage / transportation. They do have one pipeline that runs from Goreh, near Kharg Island to Mobarak Mount near Jusk on the Gulf of Oman, it is inside the USN blockade and is still under construction, so cannot help with the movement of oil yet. |
I was a Dartmouth cadet, serving on a mine-swiper when theTorrey Canyon went aground. We spent several days spraying detergent onto the spill and I remember it as a very unpleasant experience. I believe that it was later discovered that the detergent did more damage to wildlife than the oil.
Mog |
Not sure if this is defiance but the LNG tanker, Al Kharaitiyat, is still on active AIS and she is taking the pre-war route through the Strait of Homuz and not the proverbial toll booth route to the north of Larak Island. She is probably fully loaded and it almost feels like defiance knowing that if she gets hit the implications of that would be enormous. She is due into Port Qasim, Pakistan on May 11, her speed is constant at just under 17 knots. Hopefully she and her crew will make it in one piece. If she does make it unmolested by Iran or the USN it could potentially give other ship owners / crews similar courage to push back against the two warring regimes and get their ships out too
Good luck to her and her crew https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3bd1dee7f3.png |
Anything is possible. The environmental damage will be immense regardless of reason for the slick or who is responsible for it. |
Originally Posted by BonnieLass
(Post 12083677)
Not sure if this is defiance but the LNG tanker, Al Kharaitiyat, is still on active AIS and she is taking the pre-war route through the Strait of Homuz and not the proverbial toll booth route to the north of Larak Island. She is probably fully loaded and it almost feels like defiance knowing that if she gets hit the implications of that would be enormous. She is due into Port Qasim, Pakistan on May 11, her speed is constant at just under 17 knots. Hopefully she and her crew will make it in one piece. If she does make it unmolested by Iran or the USN it could potentially give other ship owners / crews similar courage to push back against the two warring regimes and get their ships out too
Good luck to her and her crew https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3bd1dee7f3.png I really hope she makes it safely out. |
HMS Dragon is now confirmed as being part of the anglo French / British carrier group headed by French carrier Charles de Gaulle, there are approximately 40 nations involved in the task force, both NATO and non NATO. They will assist in safe transit work enabling ships to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz. However their work will not start until a peace deal tween all combatants has been signed and adhered to.
LNG carrier, Al Kharaitiyat, is continuing her passage through the Strait of Hormuz, she has now, however, gone dark on AIS. Hopefully she and her crew will make it through during tonight and will reactivate AIS once she reaches safe waters. It is a big risk taking the pre-war route and bypassing the Iranian Larak Island toll booth route. No other vessels appear to be active, least not on AIS, through the Strait. It will be late evening there now. The Mina Saqr, Umm Quwain, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah, Dubai and Jebel Ali anchorages in the Persian Gulf all have a fair amount of activity, most of the ships have reactivated their AIS compared to this time yesterday. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4a9223f71d.png The Dibba, Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Shinas, Sohar and Muscat anchorages on the Gulf of Oman remain active and relatively peaceful with a few Iranian ekranoplan and skiffs in the vicinity. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....afda115db0.png The Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandab are still flowing freely without any reported incidents https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....154b496b68.png I shall check on the LNG carrier, Al Kharaitiyat, currently in transit of the Strait of Hormuz throughout the night and report any changes to her route, if she stays dark, then I shall check on her progress in the morning....and hopefully CMA CGM San Antonio will make an appearance too as she due into Mundra, India early tomorrow morning. |
Centcom yesterday:
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. forces disabled M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, May 8, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing U.S. blockade. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) enforced blockade measures against two Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers attempting to pull into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran. U.S. forces also disabled Iranian-flagged M/T Hasna, May 6, as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. An F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) disabled the unladen oil tanker's rudder by firing several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun. All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran. "U.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran," said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. "Our highly trained men and women in uniform are doing incredible work." Multiple commercial vessels have been disabled and more than 50 have been redirected by CENTCOM forces to ensure compliance. https://x.com/TankerTrackers/status/...890858681?s=20 Based on what CENTCOM is detailing in terms of today's (2026-05-08) actions, we can now specify that both NITC's SEA STAR III (9569205) and SEVDA (9172040) had actually infiltrated the blockade perimeter two days ago; 2026-05-06. SEA STAR III was seen 162nm (300km) west of the line. Third tanker was HASNA (9212917); yesterday (2026-05-07) off Shinas, Oman...... UPDATE: The very first place we suspected to look today now confirmed our expectations. Both SEA STAR III and SEVDA are in the anchorage east of the Bandar-e Jask peninsula, Iran; with 25.62448, 57.93673 as their average coordinates. SEA STAR III has a tug behind her. A fire continues to rage on SEVDA. https://x.com/tom_bike/status/2053099856344777069?s=20 3 large US hit Iran crude carriers spotted TODAY burning in E Jask Bay at 25.6139, 57.9483 Suezmax burning bad, firefighting boat near smoking good VLCC & fuel leaking from smoldering VLCC. Right in front of IRGC naval base. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....551595dddb.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....a36841f2ba.png https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....41ed7d127a.png https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....16b280f0ac.png |
Where one dares to tread.....others are following.
First the good news.......LNG carrier, Al Kharaitiyat, has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz unmolested and is now well on her way to Port Qasim, Pakistan. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....9856f3522f.png Her safe transit seems to have given others the same idea with three more escapee's and even an Iranian flagged ship returning to her home port in the opposite direction. Taban 1 is an Iranian containership on her way into the Strait from Charbahar, Iran to Bushehr, Iran. MDL Toofan is a bulk carrier on her way out from Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia to Rio Grande, Brazil. Fortune Gas is an LPG carrier out of Hidd, Bahrain without destination listed currently. AB Power is a bitumen tanker out of Sharjah, UAE, to an incorrect destination, says Basrah, Iraq which is the other direction to where she is heading. It is also all flowing well in Bab-el-Mandab / Gulf of Aden, no reports there of any incidents. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....91aa8cce64.png https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....bb8f6e12be.png https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....271e8c283f.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....1baadebd05.png Now the bad news.......there has been an attack against a bulk carrier off Doha, Qatar overnight. Said to have been hit by an unknown projectile that caused a small fire which was quickly extinguished. No injuries or environmental impact reported as yet. I shall see if I can find her identity etc this morning. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....de256a86f4.png Finally there is still no news in regard to CMA CGM San Antonio, she is still not on AIS and she has not shown up in Mundra where she is now overdue. I shall keep looking for her. |
More Iranian vessels attacked by USN F/A-18 aircraft have now had identities confirmed. I already mentioned Hasna above in the thread that had the rudder shot off. Two more vessels are :
Sevda, a VLCC spotted on AIS a month ago as she exited the Strait of Malacca. She had been running oil transits without AIS when hit off Jask, Iran. Another Iranian tanker, Sea Star III, was last seen on AIS over a month ago, again exiting the Strait of Malacca. There are no reports on casualties onboard or environmental damage. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....15169aaa2a.png https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....0d03791675.png Other ships of interest that are either entering the region or within a safe distance... The US flagged Ocean Trader along with a currently unidentified Arleigh Burke type destroyer have been seen at Diego Garcia in recent days. The USNS Alan Shepard has made transit through the Strait of Malacca within the last 24 hours (her AIS is active). Holding the blockade line tween Ras-Al-Hadd in Oman and Charbahar, Iran are USS Abraham Lincoln, USS George HW Bush, USS New Orleans, two Arleigh Burke class, and two Independence class. |
Much is said about the state of readiness in regard to Iran. Throughout history, combatants on both sides of the divide have often stated that the other side has been wiped out / destroyed / obliterated etc etc and that has been no different with Iran vs US / Israel.
Whilst monitoring the Iranian news agency, Tansim, several statements have been made in the last few hours that could / should be taken seriously. It is absolutely clear that Iran have the ability to attack merchant and military shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz. This is from the Iranian Brigadier General Mousavi last night : “The (IRGC) Aerospace Force’s missiles and drones have been locked onto American targets in the region and the vessels of the aggressor enemy.” “We are awaiting the order to fire,” There is a similar warning from the Iranian Navy this morning : Warning! Any aggression against the oil tankers and commercial vessels of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be met with a heavy attack on one of the American centers in the region and the enemy’s ships, Maybe the Iranians are bluffing but given the attacks on shipping in recent days, it might pay the US to treat it seriously (ie no late night rantings or threats via social media) |
A small update via Manilla Bulletin in regard to CMA CGM San Antonio. There were 7 crew injured in the attack on the ship on May 5th, 2026. Three are said to be in a serious condition and remain in hospital, the other 4 received treatment for minor injuries. Still no word regarding the whereabouts of the ship or her condition.
Seven Pinoy seafarers injured in Strait of Hormuz drone attack, DMW confirms (Manilla Bulletin - May 7, 2026) |
War now spreading to the subsea cables. Not sure if Iran has the assets to actually cut or affect them.
https://x.com/shanaka86/status/2053313529495839151?s=20 Iran wants permits, fees, and Iranian-company control over the internet cables.* On May 9, IRGC-linked Iranian state media published a detailed regulatory proposal for the seven undersea fiber-optic cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The cables are the digital arteries of the Gulf. AAE-1, FALCON, TGN-Gulf, SEA-ME-WE and three others carry significant Europe-Asia-Gulf internet and financial-data traffic.** Per Fars News Agency and Tasnim, the proposal would require foreign cable operators to obtain Iranian permits, pay tolls and fees, comply with Iranian law, and assign all management, repair, and maintenance to Iranian companies. Per Telegeography submarine cable maps, all seven cables were deliberately routed through Omani territorial waters to avoid Iran. The cables Iran wants to charge for were specifically built to bypass Iranian sovereignty. Iran is not just operating the Strait. Iran is signaling it wants to operate the bandwidth too. Same operating model. Permits. Fees. Designated lanes. Exclusive Iranian regulatory control. This is media advocacy, not a government decree. No Iranian law has been issued. UNCLOS transit-passage protections, Omani jurisdiction, and the fact that cable repair ships need Omani permits would limit enforcement. Iran International and WION have picked up the proposal. Cable consortia have not publicly responded. But the timing is the signal. The proposal arrived on the same day Iran’s Foreign Ministry publicly rejected three United States red lines. Iran will not halt enrichment. Iran will not export its existing stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of near-weapons-grade uranium. Iran will not share control of the Strait of Hormuz. The same day, Israel reportedly told Washington that any return to war must include strikes on Iran’s entire energy infrastructure within twenty-four hours, with several Arab countries reportedly in support, per Israel’s Channel 12. The S&P 500 closed Friday May 8 at a record 7,398.93. The VIX closed at 17.19. US Central Command has disabled four Iranian-flagged oil tankers in three weeks and redirected more than fifty-seven vessels since the blockade began April 13. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, on May 6 and 7, issued new transit protocols telling shipping that passage will be “safe and stable” for vessels that comply with Iranian regulations and use designated lanes. On May 3, the IRGC announced an expanded maritime control area covering nearly two thousand kilometers of Iranian coastline. President Trump described the recent kinetic exchange as “just a love tap” and said “the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.” Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since the war began February 28. Per Axios April 8, he communicates via runners passing notes. Trump arrives in Beijing on May 14 and 15. A Strait under Iranian protocols. A maritime control area covering two thousand kilometers. Three nuclear and Hormuz red lines drawn in public. An Israeli energy infrastructure strike plan reportedly delivered with twenty-four-hour execution. A market at all-time high. And now a regulatory proposal for the seven undersea cables that were deliberately routed through Oman to avoid Iran. The Hormuz toll booth is going digital. The cables it wants to charge are not even in its waters. By May 15 we will know whether Beijing accepts the toll booth in any form. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202605091805 https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-...-1778419794267 ** https://fastnetmon.com/2026/04/10/th...ross-the-gulf/ The Strait of Hormuz & Beyond: Cables, conflict and connectivity analysed https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....a31fd0ee76.png |
The sea mine threat has not been spoken about much here or on the MSM. Be that because of OpSec or the fact that this is an aviation site I know not.
However, we can be reasonably certain the mine countermeasures have been ongoing in the SoH for a while. The transit of USN war canoes would seem to confirm this as it would be unlikely that CENTCOM would risk these vessels without some degree of certainty that the lanes were clear of mines. As to who has been doing the mine countermeasures I know not but over the years there have been exercises involving the Omanis - who clearly have an interest - the USN and the RN. I have reason to believe that the RN has some unmanned assets in the area and so may others. Iran has it seems a fair arsenal of seamines available. This video gives a decent breakdown: |
Originally Posted by BonnieLass
(Post 12084005)
Whilst monitoring the Iranian news agency, Tansim,
I use this website for reading foreign news. Can be a bit of 404's and 504's, mind you. Some can be translated to English. Asian & Middle Eastern Newspapers : Newspapers from Asia & the Middle East : Asian & Middle Eastern News Iran: From Donya e Eqtesad newpaper: Well written piece on Iran's Maritime and Land Capabilities. Dates 10th May 2026. English trans available. Iran's Maritime and Land Capacities |
Salute!
Until they get a few nukes, the Strait is their only hope, and that is only if the world at large accepts a fringe group of their religion as speaking for their country and others of the faith (which I and many do not accept as fact). Then lets them have us all at their whim. Somehow I cannot believe that the world wants that. Remember the scorpion. Meanwhile delay and delay and covertly strive to get some nukes. Gums sends... |
They’re not giving Trump even the fiction of an off ramp…..
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d89c239c1.jpeg https://x.com/sentdefender/status/20...015773183?s=20 Iran’s state-backed news agency Irib News details Iranian conditions for negotiations with the U.S., following U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s reaction that called their response “totally unacceptable.” The terms, just a reiteration of their previous statements, include, but are not limited to, releasing frozen Iranian funds and assets, war reparations, and Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....9edbe5ba3.jpeg |
Today's update on the anchorages, Strait of Hormuz, missing ships, damaged ships and pirates
First of all it definitely seems that ships are pushing back on the US and Iranians who are both becoming as irritating towards shipping as each other. Approximately 7 ships have successfully sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in the last 12 hours, all have avoided the Iranian toll booth route north of Larak Island. Iranian ships have entered the Strait unmolested in both directions. All anchorages in the Persian Gulf appear stable as do those in the Gulf of Oman. A dhow has been taken by pirates in the Gulf of Aden / Bab-el-Mandab for use as another mother ship for their skiffs. That situation is being monitored. The Korean owners of HMM Namu have discovered a very large hole in the bottom of their ship, well below the waterline. Initially there had been some confusion as to whether the ship had indeed been hit with something since no damage was visible externally. This has now changed after the hole was discovered in her stern area... Photo's courtesy of HMM https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....00ee005fd9.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....73baabd474.png The bulk carrier Leya has been confirmed as the one hit off Doha yesterday (May 10). She suffered a small fire which was quickly extinguished. She is now off Khor Khwair, UAE https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ce70ef3f5f.png Finally, there is still no visible sign on AIS of the damaged CMA CGM San Antonio. She has not been seen on AIS for 6 days and is now 2 days overdue in Mundra, India. Still no word of her condition either. It is possible that she has been disabled in some way. As a feeder containership her upper accommodation and bridge superstructure are at her stern, it is therefore possible that she was hit in the accommodation area, bridge area or on / below the waterline. There are no updates as yet in regard to the injured crew, specifically the three who was seriously hurt. Her last known position https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....29c75aeeb5.png Will return tomorrow with further updates. |
From Newsweek:
https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/...&m=6&f=jpg&u=tNewsweek Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Sunday evening responded to France and United Kingdom deploying warships near the Strait of Hormuz, warning that they would “be met with a decisive and immediate response.” Gharibabadi in a post on X wrote that the Strait of Hormuz “is not the common property of extra-regional powers; it is a sensitive waterway adjacent to coastal states, and the exercise of sovereignty by the Islamic Republic of Iran over this strait and the determination of its legal arrangements is Iran’s right as a coastal state.” For lars: nice summary on the mine warfare aspect. As the old saying goes, any ship can be a minesweeper once...:hmm: |
To paraphrase the US Ambassador to Vietnam 50 + years ago when answering a reporter’s question.
“ Anyone who thinks they understand the situation here does not understand the situation here! “ |
Originally Posted by albatross
(Post 12084643)
To paraphrase the US Ambassador to Vietnam 50 + years ago when answering a reporter’s question.
“ Anyone who thinks they understand the situation here does not understand the situation here! “ |
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