Two Tankers Struck Off Oman in Strait of Hormuz, Brent Hits $109

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that two more vessels were attacked on the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz on 10 Sep 2026, the latest in a series of strikes and counterstrikes between Iranian and American forces in the region. At about 1910 hours UTC, UKMTO received a report from the master of a nearby vessel that four projectiles had hit two unidentified ships in the strait, roughly four nautical miles off Khasab on the northeast side of the Musandam Peninsula. One vessel caught fire, while the status of the other remains unknown. Iran has not claimed responsibility, though it has conducted all previous similar strikes in this part of the strait. The attacks follow a series of recent U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iran's tanker fleet, including the reported sinkings of the Iran-linked tankers Riesco and Kylo, with oil slicks near their last known positions offering possible confirmation. U.S. officials have said they will pursue a "tanker for a tanker" retaliation model in response to further Iranian strikes. The new attacks deepened market concerns over oil supply, pushing Brent crude to $109 by the end of the day. Traders were also weighing infrared satellite data suggesting possible disruption, including heavy flaring, on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, which carries an estimated five to seven million barrels of oil per day from Gulf coast fields to the Red Sea. Any interruption to the pipeline would further tighten global crude supplies, which are already running at or below demand amid multiyear-low stockpiles. Possible causes for the thermal anomalies include routine emergency flaring or a Houthi strike, as the group has recently targeted Saudi refineries near the Yemeni border, including the 400,000-bpd Jazan refinery.