Oil prices surge above $100 per barrel after six ships attacked in Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz

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Oil prices briefly spiked above $100 per barrel early Thursday after a total of six tankers were attacked by Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The two most recent attacks, apparently carried out by explosive-laden boats, hit the tankers Safesea Vishnu and Zefyros in Iraqi waters, killing at least one crew member and setting the vessels ablaze.

Those attacks followed projectile strikes on at least four ships in the Strait of Hormuz since Wednesday and caused Brent crude futures to jump past the century mark before giving up some gains.

An oil tanker burns after being hit by an Iranian strike in the  Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq. AP
A foreign tanker carrying Iraqi fuel oil damaged after catching fire in Iraq’s territorial waters on March 12, 2026. REUTERS
A map of the Strait of Hormuz. Don Pearsall / NY Post Design

Follow The Post’s coverage of the United States’ airstrikes on Iran:


The latest attacks came hours after President Trump ordered the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to bring down gas prices that have surged by an average of 60 cents per gallon since America and Israel began joint attacks on Iran Feb. 28.

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