Saudi tanker 'Wadiyan' and its crew and oil cargo safe.

Four oil and gas tankers turn back from Hormuz as attacks resume.

Ship-tracking data show at least four oil and gas tankers have reversed course from attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, amid renewed attacks on vessels in this vital waterway, heightening security and safety concerns. The diversions follow damage to a Qatari LNG carrier and a Saudi-flagged crude tanker near the strait on Tuesday, after reports that Iran fired missiles at ships in the waterway, prompting maritime authorities to raise the threat level for transiting vessels to 'severe.' Saudi National Shipping Company 'Bahri' announced that its very large crude carrier 'Wadiyan' was involved in an incident while crossing the Strait of Hormuz on July 7, 2026. The company confirmed that all crew and personnel on board are safe, with no injuries reported, and that the oil cargo is secure and the vessel remains seaworthy. It added that it informed relevant authorities immediately after the incident and continues to coordinate with all parties, monitoring developments closely, emphasizing that personnel safety, marine environment protection, and safe vessel management are its priorities.

The 'Wadiyan,' a Saudi crude oil tanker, is one of the key very large crude carriers (VLCCs) in Bahri's fleet, with a capacity of approximately 2.2 million barrels of crude oil, making it a strategic vessel for transporting Saudi oil exports to global markets. It is part of Bahri's Oil fleet, which is the world's largest fleet of double-hulled VLCCs, comprising dozens of modern vessels.

The three LNG carriers — Al Gharia, Al Duhail, and Al Ruwais — were slowly advancing west toward the Strait of Hormuz before changing course and turning back late Tuesday, according to data from analytics firms Kepler and LSEG. All three vessels, controlled by QatarEnergy, were empty and heading to Qatar's Ras Laffan export facility to load cargoes. Meanwhile, data from the London Stock Exchange Group and Kepler showed an Indian-flagged tanker carrying 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil loaded late last week turned back off Ras al Hadd in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.

Since the conflict began in late February, at least 16 LNG cargoes have left Ras Laffan and 10 from ADNOC's Das Island terminal in the UAE via the strait. However, this volume remains small compared to the roughly 7 million metric tons shipped monthly from these two export hubs.

David Chau, global Asia-Pacific market strategist at Invesco in Singapore, said, 'Just when we thought we had turned the page on geopolitical risk premiums, we are certainly reminded that this peace agreement is still in the making.' He added, 'I think the current Brent crude price is still trading at levels that, in my view, do not reflect some of the ongoing escalations from the Middle East.' Data this week showed U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve crude stocks fell to their lowest since 1983, making markets more vulnerable to future supply shocks. Oil prices surged after the fresh strikes, rebounding from their yearly lows, raising renewed concerns about energy-driven inflation in the coming months. U.S. inflation data since March has shown steady increases in price pressures, further unnerving markets due to the Federal Reserve's hawkish policy. With renewed Iranian attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales, which had received a 60-day waiver under the peace agreement, as two VLCCs sailed into the strait to load Iranian oil, and another tanker left the waterway carrying 2 million barrels of oil via the Omani side of the strait, according to analysis by Kepler.