Browsing Tag
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations
5 posts
Pentagon removes Navy Secretary John Phelan with no explanation as Iran blockade enters critical phase
US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was removed on April 22, 2026, as the Navy enforces an active blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz, with Hung Cao named acting Secretary.
April 23, 2026
Iran seizes two ships, Brent hits $100: Ceasefire means nothing as IRGC fires on pre-cleared vessels and US sends more carriers
Iran seized two ships and attacked a third in the Strait of Hormuz on 22 April 2026, hours after Trump's ceasefire extension, as Brent crude hit $100 and Lufthansa cut 20,000 flights.
April 23, 2026
Iran reverses Hormuz opening within 24 hours — IRGC fires on tankers as blockade standoff deepens
Iran reimposed Strait of Hormuz restrictions on 18 April 2026 and IRGC gunboats fired on a transiting tanker, reversing a short-lived opening declared hours earlier by Iran's foreign minister.
April 18, 2026
Tanker struck by explosion near Kuwait’s Mubarak Al-Kabeer port as Persian Gulf conflict widens
UKMTO reports a large explosion and oil spill on a tanker off Kuwait's Mubarak Al-Kabeer area on March 5, 2026, as the US-Iran-Israel war expands into the upper Persian Gulf.
March 5, 2026
Hormuz stays shut for fifth day: Qatar offline a month, Ras Tanura struck, oil up 12%
US Navy sinks Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka as Strait of Hormuz shipping crisis enters day five, stranding 200 tankers and triggering global energy alerts.
March 5, 2026