Strait of Hormuz: Missile sets fire to oil tanker

Another tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the captain, the ship was hit by an “unknown projectile,” reported the British Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO). A fire broke out, but the crew is said to be safe. The extent of the damage is still unclear, it said. It is also unclear who was responsible for the attack.

Since the war began at the end of February, Iran has blocked traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for global energy trade, with threats and attacks on ships. There has recently been regular shelling again in the strait, which is only 35 to 40 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on Friday that they had attacked a liquid gas tanker on a route near the Omani coast.

In recent months, the US Navy has accompanied civilian merchant ships there for security purposes. Iran considers this route “illegal” and demands passage along its own coast. The US military has also repeatedly attacked Iranian ships in the strait. It has become the central point of conflict between Tehran and Washington in the Iran war.

In his own words, US President Donald Trump recently ruled out a renewed offensive against Iran before the US congressional elections (more on this here). The USA would not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections on November 3rd, Trump wrote on Thursday on his online platform Truth Social. At the same time, he stated that productive talks were being held with the Islamic Republic. The US blockade of Iranian ports remains in force. Nevertheless, oil deliveries continued to arrive through the Strait of Hormuz.

It could not be independently clarified whether Trump's claim that the USA is holding productive talks with Iran is correct. The Republican's previous statements about attacks had also repeatedly proven to be false. The USA launched attacks several times while negotiations with Iran were ongoing or were immediately planned.

The war and its monthly costs of three billion dollars have become a central issue in the US election campaign. High gasoline prices are also putting pressure on Trump's Republicans and endangering their majority in Congress. Trump has repeatedly stated that he expects a significant drop in oil prices after the election. It is unclear what he bases his forecast on.

Diesel deal with Putin causes uproar

As a short-term measure, Trump recently promised hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel from Russia after a conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Among other things, he agreed with Putin that more than 300,000 tons of diesel would be made available "immediately" for the USA and the world market, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform (more on this here).

According to the US Energy Administration (EIA), consumption of diesel and other distillate fuels in the US currently averages around 3.77 million barrels per day. This corresponds to the equivalent of around 500,000 tonnes. A quantity of 300,000 tons would theoretically cover US consumption for a good 14 hours.

The announcement is also causing an uproar because Trump signed a law passed by Parliament last month that gives him broad powers to impose new sanctions against Russia. Parliament's intention was to put more pressure on the Kremlin in Russia's war of aggression against the Ukrainians. The step now announced by Trump goes in the opposite direction.