The Iranian coastline near the Strait of Hormuz
Rob Atherton | iStock | Getty Images
Brent crude spiked 3% on Thursday morning on reports of tanker explosions in the Gulf of Oman.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a division of the U.K. Royal Navy, said it is currently investigating what it has called an “incident” in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline. It has urged “extreme caution” amid mounting tensions between Iran and the U.S.
Iranian state media has reported that two oil tankers were targeted in explosions, without providing evidence.
A spokesman for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain told the Associated Press that his command was “aware” of the incident and was seeking further details. U.S. Naval ships are in the area and are “rendering assistance” after forces in the region received two separate distress calls, the Fifth Fleet said.
Brent crude is currently trading at $61.77 a barrel.
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