A collision between two oil tankers occurred on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route close to the United Arab Emirates. The incident involved the tankers Adalynn and Front Eagle, which caught fire after the crash. Officials believe a misjudgment in steering one of the vessels led to the accident.
The Adalynn, owned by an Indian company, was not carrying any cargo and was heading toward the Suez Canal in Egypt. In contrast, the Front Eagle was transporting two million barrels of Iraqi crude oil and was on its way to Zhoushan, China. Reports indicate that the Front Eagle was moving south at a speed of 13.1 knots when it made a right turn, resulting in the collision with the Adalynn.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the incident. The UAE coastguard successfully evacuated 24 crew members from the Adalynn, while personnel aboard the Front Eagle were safe, and no pollution was detected following the fire on its deck.
The United Arab Emirates’ energy ministry has stated that there is no connection between this crash and the recent increase in electronic interference in the region, which has been linked to tensions between Israel and Iran. Since the two countries began exchanging missile fire last week, navigation systems near the strait have been disrupted. The US-led Combined Maritime Force reported that interference has been noted near Iran’s Port of Bandar Abbas and other areas in the Gulf.
Tehran has not issued any comments regarding either the collision or the reported navigation issues. The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway, handling about 20% of the world’s oil shipments, making the safety of this route vital for global energy supplies.