Attacks Escalate in Middle East Gulf as Tankers and Fuel Tanks Ablaze

Attacks on commercial vessels and energy facilities in the Middle East Gulf have escalated in recent days, with multiple tankers and fuel storage tanks set ablaze, according to reports from maritime security sources. Late on Wednesday and into Thursday, Iranian-backed groups were reported to have set two product tankers on fire in the Gulf of Oman, according to the maritime security firm Dryad Global. The attacks come amid heightened tensions in the region following a series of similar incidents targeting commercial shipping over the past several months. 'The incidents represent a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions and attacks on commercial shipping assets in the region,' Dryad Global said in a statement. 'The attacks demonstrate the continued threat posed to commercial vessels operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz.' In a separate incident, a containership was also struck by an 'external source' while at anchorage off the coast of Oman, according to the vessel's operator. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Meanwhile, a series of explosions rocked a major fuel storage facility in Oman's port city of Sohar on Wednesday, sparking a large fire that sent plumes of black smoke into the sky. Omani authorities said the blasts were caused by 'an accident' but did not provide further details. The latest attacks come just days after U.S. President Donald Trump called on American-flagged ships to have the 'guts' to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for global oil shipments that has been the site of numerous incidents involving commercial vessels. 'Respect the guts that power global trade,' Capt. Akee Sharma, CEO of Sailor's Cart, wrote in a commentary for Splash247, taking issue with Trump's remarks. 'In a better part of the world that I live in, the government and people understand the importance of merchant mariners and the vital role they play in the global economy.'