Oil Tankers Collide Near U.A.E. as Israel-Iran Conflict Disrupts Shipping
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UAE Coast Guard rescues 24 after tanker collision near Strait of Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Coast Guard announced on June 17 that it had successfully evacuated 24 crew members from the oil tanker Adalynn. The rescue operation was launched after a collision involving multiple vessels in waters approximately 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan. The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Coast Guard announced on June 17 that it had successfully evacuated 24 crew members from the oil tanker Adalynn following a maritime collision in the Gulf of Oman, near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The rescue operation was launched after a collision involving multiple vessels in waters approximately 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan.
According to the British maritime security firm Ambrey, the incident was not security-related.
Maritime sources later confirmed to Reuters that the Adalynn had collided with two other ships.
The crash occurred amid a period of heightened regional tension, as Iran and Israel entered a fifth consecutive day of reciprocal military strikes, following Israel’s large-scale offensive on June 13. Israel has said the attacks were intended to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Naval sources cited by Reuters also reported a sharp rise in electronic interference affecting the navigation systems of commercial vessels transiting the region, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Gulf. This disruption has posed additional risks to maritime operations.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. An estimated one-fifth of global oil consumption flows through the strait.
Between January 2022 and May 2025, daily oil traffic through the waterway ranged from 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels, according to data from energy analytics firm Vortexa.
The UAE’s National Guard confirmed via a post on the social media platform X that the rescued crew members were safely transported to Khor Fakkan Port using search and rescue vessels.
By Tamilla Hasanova
Two oil tankers collide, catch fire near Strait of Hormuz
Two oil tankers collided and caught fire on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries to crew or spillage reported. Iran and Israel have fired missiles at each other since Friday. The Strait is a vital waterway between Iran and Oman which handles about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil. The UAE coast guard said it had evacuated 24 people from one of the ships, Adalynn, to the port of Khor Fakkan after the crash 24 nautical miles off its eastern coast. The Front Eagle was loaded with 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil and was en route to Zhoushan in China, according to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com. Some shipping companies have decided to pause their voyages due to the heightened tensions.
Two oil tankers collided and caught fire on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, where electronic interference has surged during the conflict between Iran and Israel, but there were no injuries to crew or spillage reported.
With Iran and Israel firing missiles at each other since Friday, interference has disrupted navigation systems near the vital waterway between Iran and Oman which handles about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil.
The UAE coast guard said it had evacuated 24 people from one of the ships, Adalynn, to the port of Khor Fakkan after the crash 24 nautical miles off its eastern coast.
Personnel on the second tanker, the Front Eagle, were reported safe with no pollution seen after a fire on its deck, according to its owner, the Oslo-listed company Frontline.
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Frontline later said the incident would be investigated, but there was no suggestion of outside interference.
The Front Eagle was loaded with 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil and was en route to Zhoushan in China, according to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com.
The Adalynn, a Suezmax-class tanker owned by India-based Global Shipping Holding Ltd, had no cargo and was sailing towards the Suez Canal in Egypt, the monitoring service said.
TankerTrackers.com said on X that the Front Eagle was moving southbound at a speed of 13.1 knots when it “executed a starboard (right) turn, resulting in a collision with the port quarter (aft port side)” of the Adalynn, which was proceeding southeast at 4.8 knots.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the northwest with the Gulf of Oman to the southeast and the Arabian Sea beyond.
Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through daily, according to data from Vortexa.
The multinational, US-led Combined Maritime Force’s JMIC information centre said in an advisory this week that it had received reports of electronic interference stemming from the vicinity of the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, on the north shore of the strait, and other areas in the Gulf region.
Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure.
Tehran has not commented on Tuesday’s collision or reports of electronic interference.
Dozens of tankers have dropped anchor in major port hubs in the Gulf close to the Strait of Hormuz around Fujairah and Khor Fakkan and Sharjah on the Emirati side, ship tracking data on MarineTraffic showed on Tuesday.
Some shipping companies have decided to pause their voyages due to the heightened tensions, while others were awaiting charter hires due to uncertainty, shipping sources said.
While war risk insurance costs for ships heading to Israeli ports have soared in recent days, the costs so far remain stable for voyages through the Gulf, insurance industry sources said on Tuesday.
“Rates, for the time being, remain stable with no noticeable increases since the latest hostilities between Israel and Iran. This position could change dramatically depending on any further escalation or general conflagration in the area,” David Smith, head of marine with insurance broker McGill and Partners, said.
Two oil tankers collide, catch fire near Strait of Hormuz
The world’s largest oil and natural gas company, Saudi Aramco, is one of the world’s biggest oil and gas producers. Aramco is also a major employer in the United States. The company is also the largest exporter of natural gas in the world, with a market value of more than $1.2 billion. The firm is expected to make a profit for the first time in its history in the second quarter of this year. It is also expected to post a record profits for the second year in a row in the first quarter of 2014. It has also posted a record quarterly profit in the last quarter of 2013. It was the company’s first quarterly profit since the third quarter of 2012. It had a record first quarter profit of $8.1 billion. It also posted its first quarterly profits in the third quarters of 2013, its first since the second quarters of 2011. It reported a record profit for a quarter of a century.
Companies Tankers hit each other, no spillage or injuries reported
Electronic interference affecting navigation systems
UAE evacuates crew of one of the ships
Strait of Hormuz carries fifth of world’s seaborne oil
DUBAI/COPENHAGEN, June 17 (Reuters) – Two oil tankers collided and caught fire on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, where electronic interference has surged during conflict between Iran and Israel , but there were no injuries to crew or spillage reported.
With Iran and Israel firing missiles at each other since Friday, interference has disrupted navigation systems near the vital waterway between Iran and Oman which handles about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil.
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The United Arab Emirates coast guard said it had evacuated 24 people from one of the ships, Adalynn, to the port of Khor Fakkan after the crash 24 nautical miles off its eastern coast.
Personnel on the second tanker, the Front Eagle, were reported safe with no pollution seen after a fire on its deck, according to its owner, the Oslo-listed company Frontline (FRO.OL) , opens new tab
Frontline later told Reuters the incident would be investigated, but there was no suggestion of outside interference.
The Front Eagle was loaded with 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil and was en route to Zhoushan in China, according to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com.
The Adalynn, a Suezmax-class tanker owned by India-based Global Shipping Holding Ltd, had no cargo and was sailing towards the Suez Canal in Egypt, the monitoring service said.
TankerTrackers.com said on X that the Front Eagle was moving southbound at a speed of 13.1 knots when it “executed a starboard (right) turn, resulting in a collision with the port quarter (aft port side)” of the Adalynn, which was proceeding southeast at 4.8 knots.
STRATEGIC STRAIT
The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the northwest with the Gulf of Oman to the southeast and the Arabian Sea beyond.
Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through daily, according to data from Vortexa.
The multinational, U.S.-led Combined Maritime Force’s JMIC information centre said in an advisory this week that it had received reports of electronic interference stemming from the vicinity of the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, on the north shore of the strait, and other areas in the Gulf region.
Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure.
Tehran has not commented on Tuesday’s collision or reports of electronic interference. There was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment from the Emirati foreign ministry or Khor Fakkan container terminal on Tuesday.
Dozens of tankers have dropped anchor in major port hubs in the Gulf close to the Strait of Hormuz around Fujairah and Khor Fakkan and Sharjah on the Emirati side, ship tracking data on MarineTraffic showed on Tuesday.
Some shipping companies have decided to pause their voyages due to the heightened tensions, while others were awaiting charter hires due to uncertainty, shipping sources said.
While war risk insurance costs for ships heading to Israeli ports have soared in recent days, the costs so far remain stable for voyages through the Gulf, insurance industry sources said on Tuesday.
“Rates, for the time being, remain stable with no noticeable increases since the latest hostilities between Israel and Iran. This position could change dramatically depending on any further escalation or general conflagration in the area,” David Smith, head of marine with insurance broker McGill and Partners, told Reuters.
Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Enas Alashray in Cairo, Maha El Dahan in Dubai, Stine B. Jacobsen in Copenhagen and Jonathan Saul in London; Writing by Federico Maccioni; editing by Neil Fullick, William Maclean, Andrew Cawthorne and Mark Heinrich
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
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The Strait of Hormuz: the world’s most important oil artery
Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz for traffic in retaliation to Western pressure. Experts have said that any closure of the strait could restrict trade and impact global oil prices. The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just 2 miles (3km) wide in either direction. About a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the straIt. Around 2.6 million bpd of unused capacity from existing UAE and Saudi pipelines could be available to bypass Hormuez, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.
Israel launched strikes against Iran on June 13, saying it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders during the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
Iran, which has denied such intentions, has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz for traffic in retaliation to Western pressure. Experts have said that any closure of the strait could restrict trade and impact global oil prices.
Below are details about the strait:
The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.
It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just 2 miles (3 km) wide in either direction.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
About a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the strait. Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through the strait daily, according to data from Vortexa.
OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sought to find other routes to bypass the strait.
Around 2.6 million bpd of unused capacity from existing UAE and Saudi pipelines could be available to bypass Hormuz, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in June last year.
Qatar, among the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas exporters, sends almost all of its LNG through the strait.
Iran has threatened over the years to block the strait but has never followed through.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is tasked with protecting commercial shipping in the area.
HISTORY OF TENSIONS
In 1973, Arab producers led by Saudi Arabia slapped an oil embargo on Western supporters of Israel in its war with Egypt.
While Western countries were the main buyers of crude produced by the Arab countries at the time, nowadays Asia is the main buyer of OPEC’s crude.
The United States more than doubled its oil liquids production in the last two decades and has turned from the world’s biggest oil importer into one of the top exporters.
During the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, the two sides sought to disrupt each other’s exports in what was called the Tanker War.
In July 1988, a U.S. warship shot down an Iranian airliner, killing all 290 aboard, in what Washington said was an accident and Tehran said was a deliberate attack.
In January 2012, Iran threatened to block the strait in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions. In May 2019, four vessels – including two Saudi oil tankers – were attacked off the UAE coast, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
In July 2021, an Israeli-managed oil tanker was attacked off Oman’s coast, killing two crew members, with Israel blaming Iran for the incident, which Iran denied.
Three vessels, two in 2023 and one in 2024, were seized by Iran near or in the Strait of Hormuz.
On June 17, 2025, two oil tankers collided and caught fire, near the Strait of Hormuz, where electronic interference has surged during the conflict between Iran and Israel, but there were no injuries to crew or spillage reported. REUTERS
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At least 3 ships on fire after collision in Gulf of Oman, UAE sends rescue teams
At least three ships are reportedly on fire in the Gulf of Oman following a collision between two vessels, prompting an emergency rescue operation. The incident has raised concerns over the safety of one of the world’s most vital maritime trade routes. Images circulating on social media appeared to show large plumes of smoke and fire rising from the sea, with some users claiming the visuals depicted oil tankers burning near the Iranian coastline. Authorities have not confirmed if this blaze is directly linked to the reported ship collision, and the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. With nearly 20% of global oil supplies passing through its narrow waters, any disruption could have wide-reaching implications for energy markets.
At least three vessels are reportedly on fire in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, following what officials described as a collision between two ships.
The incident has triggered an emergency response and raised concerns over the safety of one of the world’s most vital maritime trade routes.
According to the UAE National Guard, the collision prompted a major rescue operation earlier on Tuesday.
“The Coast Guard of the National Guard carried out today, Tuesday, June 17, 2025, an evacuation mission involving 24 crew members of the oil tanker ADALYNN, following a collision between two ships in the Gulf of Oman. The ship’s crew was evacuated from the incident site, located 24 nautical miles off the country’s coast, to the Port of Khor Fakkan using search and rescue boats,” the National Guard said in a statement posted on X.
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Unverified images circulating on social media appeared to show large plumes of smoke and fire rising from the sea, with some users claiming the visuals depicted oil tankers burning near the Iranian coastline.
While these claims remain unconfirmed, satellite and maritime monitoring data suggest that a serious maritime incident has taken place.
One of the fires was reported aboard a vessel approximately 22 nautical miles from the coast of Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates. Authorities have not confirmed if this blaze is directly linked to the reported ship collision, and the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
UK-based maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed it is aware of a “vessel-related incident” near Khor Fakkan in UAE waters. The company said it is actively monitoring the situation, which is unfolding in a high-traffic maritime corridor critical to global oil shipments. Though Ambrey has not released further details, its acknowledgement supports earlier reports of a vessel fire in the area.
NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) also detected three active fire zones in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday. The heat signatures, not present in previous days, indicate recent and ongoing fire activity, lending additional credibility to reports of the incident.
So far, Iranian authorities and other international officials have not commented on the situation. It remains unclear whether any of the vessels were targeted or if the fires were the result of mechanical failures or navigational errors.
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The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf, has historically been a flashpoint for naval tensions and oil tanker incidents. With nearly 20% of global oil supplies passing through its narrow waters, any disruption could have wide-reaching implications for energy markets.
Further details are expected as maritime agencies conduct investigations and assess the scene in daylight.
With inputs from agencies