Iran Sets Ablaze Loaded Kuwaiti Oil Tanker

Iran struck and set ablaze a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker off the coast of Dubai on Tuesday, even as U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington could target Iran’s energy infrastructure if no peace agreement is reached and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Dubai authorities said the blaze on the Kuwait‑flagged Al‑Salmi tanker was brought under control, with no reported injuries to the crew and no oil spill. The vessel’s hull was damaged, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation confirmed.

The attack occurred amid an escalation in assaults on commercial vessels transiting the Persian Gulf, a region critical for global energy supplies, following the start of the U.S.‑Israeli military campaign against Iran on February 28.

Ship‑tracking data indicate that the Al‑Salmi was en route to Qingdao, China, carrying approximately 1.2 million barrels of Saudi crude and 800,000 barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted a container ship linked to Israel that was anchored near the tanker, although the Kuwait‑flagged vessel was hit instead.

The incident briefly pushed global oil prices higher. The tanker can carry around 2 million barrels of crude oil, with a cargo value estimated at over $200 million at current market rates.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict continue. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, was in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss potential mediation with Chinese officials, following earlier talks with representatives from Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

China, one of Iran’s closest economic partners and the world’s largest buyer of its oil, reiterated its call for all sides to halt military operations.

The conflict has already disrupted energy markets. Crude oil prices briefly climbed above $113 per barrel, and U.S. gasoline prices surpassed $4 a gallon, putting additional pressure on household budgets.

The European Union’s energy chief has warned member states to prepare for “prolonged disruption” to supplies.

The war has also spread beyond the Gulf. Iran‑aligned Houthi forces in Yemen have opened fire toward Israel, a ballistic missile launched from Iran entered Turkish airspace before interception, and clashes in southern Lebanon have resulted in fatalities, including United Nations peacekeepers.

Explosions were reported in Tehran, and a Shi’ite congregation hall in Zanjan was struck, killing three people, according to Iranian officials. In response to the widening conflict, thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are being deployed to the Middle East, expanding U.S. military options in the region.

The White House has set an April 6 deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, while continuing diplomatic and military efforts to manage the crisis.

Iran Sets Ablaze Loaded Kuwaiti Oil Tanker is first published on The Whistler Newspaper