DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The Emirati national guard announced the evacuation of 24 individuals from the crude oil tanker ADALYNN following a collision with another vessel. This incident took place just east of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint for global oil transportation.
The ADALYNN was en route to Egypt's Suez Canal when the crash occurred in the Gulf of Oman. NASA FIRMS satellite data indicated the presence of heat signatures in the area early on Tuesday morning. In response, the United Arab Emirates national guard deployed coast guard search and rescue boats to the site, located 24 nautical miles off the UAE coast, successfully evacuating the crew to the port of Khor Fakkan.
British maritime security firm Ambrey assessed that the collision was not related to ongoing security tensions, particularly in the context of the prolonged conflict between Israel and Iran, which lies just across the Strait of Hormuz from Oman. The Strait serves as a vital maritime entryway to the Persian Gulf, facilitating the passage of approximately one-fifth of the world's oil, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As of 2024, around 20 million barrels of oil traversed this route daily.
In light of escalating hostilities, particularly after Israel's airstrikes on June 13 against Iranian targets, concerns grew that Iran might attempt to block the vital waterway. Maritime experts have noted that shipowners have increasingly expressed caution regarding travel through the Strait, with some vessels tightening security protocols and others deciding to cancel routes altogether. Amid the heightened tensions, numerous ships in the strait experienced intermittent navigation signal loss and had to rely on radar systems, although the precise cause of Tuesday's incident remains unclear.
The Financial Times revealed that Frontline, the world's largest publicly listed oil tanker company, has opted to decline new contracts for routes through the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz in light of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Concurrently, oil prices have seen an upward trend, with U.S. futures slipping on Tuesday morning after an evacuation warning was issued to approximately 330,000 residents in Tehran, Iran's capital, by the Israeli military.
The rescue operation on Tuesday followed closely after another incident in which the UAE national guard airlifted an injured individual from an oil tanker to a hospital in the Emirates. This recent series of events underscores the increasing risks and operational challenges faced by maritime transport in a region fraught with geopolitical tensions and security concerns.
Gabe Levin, The Associated Press
