UAE – Oil Tankers Ignite After Collision Near Strategic Strait of Hormuz

Two oil tankers collided and caught fire on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, amid heightened regional tensions between Iran and Israel. No injuries or oil spills have been reported, but the incident has raised new concerns about maritime safety in the area.

The collision occurred approximately 24 nautical miles off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE coast guard evacuated 24 crew members from one of the vessels, Adalynn, transporting them safely to Khor Fakkan port. The second ship, Front Eagle, suffered a fire on its deck but reported all crew members safe, with no pollution detected.

Front Eagle, a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) owned by Oslo-listed Frontline, was carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil bound for Zhoushan, China.
Adalynn, a Suezmax-class tanker operated by India’s Global Shipping Holding Ltd, was empty at the time and en route to the Suez Canal in Egypt.

Initial reports from maritime monitoring service TankerTrackers.com suggest a navigation error may have led to the crash. The Front Eagle, traveling south at 13.1 knots, reportedly made a starboard turn, striking the port rear side of the Adalynn, which was moving southeast at 4.8 knots.

The incident occurs as maritime navigation systems in the region experience increased electronic interference, likely tied to the military exchange between Iran and Israel that began last Friday. The U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces’ Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) has received multiple reports of signal disruptions, particularly near Iran’s Bandar Abbas port and other Gulf areas.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea beyond. It is one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for energy shipments, with between 17.8 million and 20.8 million barrels of oil and fuel passing through daily, according to data from energy analytics firm Vortexa. The UAE’s foreign ministry and Khor Fakkan terminal authorities have also not responded to requests for comment.

Representative image source: Hamad I Mohammed. All rights reserved.