Oil Tanker Suffers Explosion as Risks Spread Wider Into Gulf

An oil tanker suffered an explosion off the coast of Iraq which damaged a tank that is losing water, signaling wider risks to shipping in the Persian Gulf beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

The Sonangol Namibe was approached by a small boat near Khor Al Zubair in Iraq and its crew later heard a loud bang, according to Sonangol Marine Services. It is the first incident that far north in the Persian Gulf since the US and Israel began bombing Iran over the weekend.