The tanker struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Oct. 1 was the Kuwaiti very large crude carrier Kazimah III, Martin Kelly reported, identifying it as the second Kuwaiti state tanker hit in four days. Kelly attributed the strike to Iranian forces and said neither Kazimah III nor Al Funtas, the other Kuwaiti tanker, appeared on Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority noncompliance list. UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a fire aboard the latest vessel and said its crew was safe.

Five tankers were struck from Sept. 28 through Oct. 1. Most were sailing with their tracking transponders switched off, while Gulf crude flows have held up through tanker shuttles and transfers between ships, Kelly reported. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Hossein Mohebi said: "We have been targeting ships and blocking the passage of small ships for some time, but America has not responded to these actions for some time."

Naphtha timespreads in Japan and Northwest Europe rose $6 per metric ton on Thursday to $32.50 and $29.50, respectively, as Hormuz risk reignited, Sparta Commodities reported. The spreads reached new fourth quarter seasonal highs. Gulf crude flows were back to 17.5 million BPD, but petroleum product flows remained 40% below baseline, the firm said.