OIL TANKERS AVOID HORMUZ AFTER US-ISRAEL STRIKES Oil and gas tankers are avoiding the Strait of Hormuz after US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Some ships have turned back, while others pause outside the waterway following a broadcast, allegedly from the Iranian navy, banning passage. The US warned vessels to stay 30 nautical miles from its military assets. Major operators, including Japan’s Nippon Yusen KK and Greece’s merchant fleet, are rerouting or reassessing voyages. Traffic is sharply reduced, affecting a fifth of global seaborne oil and LNG, including Qatar’s exports. Vessels carrying Saudi, Iraqi, and Emirati crude have halted, while some, like the KHK Empress, reversed course. The slowdown is boosting oil prices and freight rates, with West Texas Intermediate briefly jumping 12% to $75.33. At least eight tankers are idling outside the Gulf of Oman, signaling the first major shipping disruption from the strikes.