Two oil tankers carrying crude out of the Gulf were hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, raising fresh concerns over energy supplies and sending Brent crude towards $92 a barrel.

The vessels were identified by maritime security analysts as the South Korean-owned Senegal Prosperity and the Saudi-owned Sidr. The incidents came as US-Iran tensions intensified and attacks on commercial shipping increased.

The latest incidents are significant because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes. Large volumes of crude oil and petroleum products from Gulf producers move through the waterway to international markets, particularly Asian buyers.

Any sustained disruption could therefore push up global oil prices and increase transportation and insurance costs.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that one tanker was struck by three unidentified projectiles while travelling through the southern route near the Omani coast. The identities of the vessels involved have not been formally confirmed, according to the report, because communications in the Gulf remain limited.

The attacks followed a renewed escalation between the US and Iran. Tehran fired on a US military base in Jordan on Monday after US forces attacked Iran’s Larak Island, which lies near the Strait of Hormuz. The latest violence has raised concerns that commercial shipping could face further attacks as the conflict enters its seventh month.

The impact is already visible in energy markets. Brent crude climbed towards $92 a barrel on Tuesday as traders assessed the possibility of lower oil exports through the strait. Higher crude prices could increase fuel costs for import-dependent economies such as India and put additional pressure on inflation.

Shipping activity also appears much lower than claims of a fully open waterway suggest. Maritime analytics company Windward recorded only 10 vessels passing in and out of the Gulf on August 30, while the highest daily count during the previous week was 21. Some ships have also switched off GPS signals to reduce the risk of being detected.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has indicated that Tehran could return to commitments under the June understanding if the US does the same, keeping a possible diplomatic route open.

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