Saudi, Qatari Tankers Struck Near Strait of Hormuz; Brent Jumps 2.5%
- A Saudi-flagged crude tanker (Wedyan) and a Qatari-flagged LNG carrier (Al Rekayyat) were hit by projectiles/drones off Oman's coast near the Strait of Hormuz, with at least three commercial vessels reported damaged in coordinated attacks (Bloomberg).
- Brent crude futures rose over 2.5% to about $73.85/barrel and WTI climbed to roughly $70.28, reigniting supply-chain fears in the Persian Gulf chokepoint that handles a fifth of global oil flows (Bloomberg, Reuters).
- The strikes come amid elevated regional tensions, with the IEA separately warning global gas demand is set for its first drop since 2022 on the Iran war.