At least 150 tankers anchored in the open waters of the Persian Gulf

At least 150 tankers anchored in the open waters of the Persian Gulf before reaching the Strait of Hormuz. This was confirmed on March 1 by data from the MarineTraffic ship tracking service.

The anchored tankers also include vessels for the transportation of crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Dozens more are on the other side of the strait.

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The Palau-flagged oil tanker Skylight came under fire on March 1 and began sinking in Oman's territorial waters. 20 people were evacuated from it, including 15 Indian citizens and five Iranian citizens. Four crew members were injured.

On the same day, Mohsen Rezai, Secretary of the Council for Determining Iran's Political Expediency, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for the passage of oil tankers until further notice. At the same time, he stressed that US military personnel and their equipment are still considered by Tehran as legitimate targets for the Iranian army.

The Reuters news agency reported on March 1 that the US and Israeli strikes on Iran had plunged the oil market into the largest crisis in recent decades, and if the conflict did not stop, oil prices would rise sharply on March 2. It was noted that the scale of disruptions in the supply of oil and rising prices will depend on the duration of the conflict in Iran.

The commander-in-chief of the army of the Islamic Republic, Amir Hatam, in turn, said that Iran used all types of its armed forces to repel attacks from the United States and Israel. In addition, he expressed confidence in the full determination of the Iranian military to defend their country and thwart all the plans of the enemy.

The Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, which is used for the passage of oil tankers, has been completely closed by the IRGC. Some major oil companies and leading trading houses have suspended the supply of crude oil and fuel through the Strait of Hormuz amid Israeli and US strikes on Iran.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.