Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Wed 07/08/2026 View Tue 07/07/2026 View Mon 07/06/2026 View Sun 07/05/2026 View Sat 07/04/2026 View Fri 07/03/2026 View Thu 07/02/2026
1
2026-07-08 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Third ship hit in Hormuz within 24 hours, as Doha blames Iran for striking Qatari tanker
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by trailing wife 2026-07-08 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [2325 views ]  Top
 File under: Govt of Iran 

1 U.S. Launches ‘Powerful Strikes’ on Iran After Attacks on Ships in Hormuz
Posted by Skidmark 2026-07-08 01:45||   2026-07-08 01:45|| Front Page Top

2 Iran threatens 'crushing response' after major US strikes on key targets
Posted by Skidmark 2026-07-08 01:54||   2026-07-08 01:54|| Front Page Top

3 Iran Attacks Tankers, Threatens to Break Off Talks After Calling for Trump’s Murder
Posted by Skidmark 2026-07-08 01:55||   2026-07-08 01:55|| Front Page Top

4 Reminds me of the situation of Israel vs. Hamas. They'd attack periodically and IDF would slap them down. And everyone was happy. And then came October 7th.
Posted by Grom the Reflective 2026-07-08 02:25||   2026-07-08 02:25|| Front Page Top

5 /\ Yes, yes Oct 7th, but your take please, regarding readiness, precautions, and the element of surprise.
Posted by Besoeker 2026-07-08 06:32||   2026-07-08 06:32|| Front Page Top

6 I recognize this may be an unpopular opinion around these parts. The MOU, as I understand it, stipulates that ships attempting to transit having failed to comply with explicitly stated transit procedures are subject to "denial of passage" or "forceful response." If that is correct the Iran is technically compliant with the MOU.

The transit fee of $1/barrel would seem to work out to about $0.03/gallon of refined gasoline at the pump. It's easy to get sticker shock at the transit rate of $1m/vessel until you realize the ship is carrying 1m barrels of oil. And it's amazing to me that such ships exist.
Posted by Clem+Elmish4239 2026-07-08 07:08||   2026-07-08 07:08|| Front Page Top

7 Clem, there are ULCC's (ultra large crude carriers) that displace more than the entire USN 7th fleet combined. That's with 2 aircraft carriers.
Posted by ed in texas 2026-07-08 08:41||   2026-07-08 08:41|| Front Page Top

8 Great lead, Ed.

The supertanker era
Until 1956, tankers were designed to be able to navigate the Suez Canal. This size restriction became much less of a priority after the closing of the canal during the Suez Crisis of 1956. Forced to move oil around the Cape of Good Hope, shipowners realized that bigger tankers were the key to more efficient transport. While a typical T2 tanker of the World War II era was 162 metres (532 ft) long and had a capacity of 16,500 DWT, the ultra-large crude carriers (ULCC) built in the 1970s were over 400 metres (1,300 ft) long and had a capacity of 500,000 DWT. Several factors encouraged this growth. Hostilities in the Middle East which interrupted traffic through the Suez Canal contributed, as did nationalization of Middle East oil refineries. Fierce competition among shipowners also played a part. But apart from these considerations is a simple economic advantage: the larger an oil tanker is, the more cheaply it can move crude oil, and the better it can help meet growing demands for oil.

In 1955 the world's largest supertanker was 30,708 GRT[26] and 47,500 LT DWT: SS Spyros Niarchos launched that year by Vickers Armstrongs Shipbuilders Ltd in England for Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos.

In 1958 United States shipping magnate Daniel K. Ludwig broke the record of 100,000 long tons of heavy displacement. His Universe Apollo displaced 104,500 long tons, a 23% increase from the previous record-holder, Universe Leader which also belonged to Ludwig. The first tanker over 100,000 dwt built in Europe was the British Admiral. The ship was launched at Barrow-in-Furness in 1965 by Elizabeth II.

Knock Nevis, ex Seawise Giant rivaled some of the world's largest buildings in size
The world's largest supertanker was built in 1979 at the Oppama shipyard by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., named Seawise Giant. This ship was built with a capacity of 564,763 DWT, a length overall of 458.45 metres (1,504.1 ft) and a draft of 24.611 metres (80.74 ft). She had 46 tanks, 31,541 square metres (339,500 sq ft) of deck, and at her full load draft, could not navigate the English Channel.
Posted by Skidmark 2026-07-08 08:53||   2026-07-08 08:53|| Front Page Top

9 Trump: Ceasefire Is 'Over,' Talks With Iran a 'Waste of Time'
Posted by Frank G 2026-07-08 09:13||   2026-07-08 09:13|| Front Page Top

10 The MOU, as I understand it, stipulates that ships attempting to transit having failed to comply with explicitly stated transit procedures are subject to "denial of passage" or "forceful response." If that is correct the Iran is technically compliant with the MOU.

Not as far as I can tell. The Iranians have claimed that charging tolls and extorting the infidels is their Allah-given right but our position is that the Strait is international waters.

The Full Text of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran

5 — Upon the signing of this MOU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge, for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa.
Posted by SteveS 2026-07-08 10:20||   2026-07-08 10:20|| Front Page Top

11 Whatever the this to and whether fors, Iran just showed it's ass.
Posted by swksvolFF 2026-07-08 11:52||   2026-07-08 11:52|| Front Page Top

12 Qatar being hit by the IRGC is definitely a fun event.

Qatar has been doing diplo and propaganda work for the Islamic Republic Occupation for decades now.

Heh.
Posted by Lord Garth 2026-07-08 17:29||   2026-07-08 17:29|| Front Page Top

13 "Yo! We was bruthas!"
Posted by Frank G 2026-07-08 19:14||   2026-07-08 19:14|| Front Page Top

22:43 trailing wife
22:41 Rambler
22:11 trailing wife
20:42 Penguin of the best desert
19:15 Bobby
19:14 Frank G
19:13 no mo uro
18:53 Frank G
18:23 Frank G
17:47 Lord Garth
17:39 Skidmark
17:38 swksvolFF
17:29 Lord Garth
17:17 Skidmark
17:09 Skidmark
17:04 Grom the Reflective
16:50 Skidmark
16:27 Skidmark
16:19 Skidmark
16:03 NoMoreBS
16:02 Skidmark
16:00 Besoeker
15:58 Besoeker
15:51 Besoeker
Merry-Go-Blog










Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com