Thai ship attacked in Strait of Hormuz, IEA to launch largest-ever oil release
發佈日期: 2026-03-12 21:14
TVB News
A number of foreign vessels came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz as the war in the Middle East continues.
The closure of the narrow shipping lane between Iran and Oman was a hard blow to the oil market, and the International Energy Agency announced its largest ever release of emergency oil to offset soaring prices.
Explosions were reported on several foreign cargo vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The crucial corridor for global oil shipping has been effectively closed to cargo traffic after US and Israel carried out coordinated strikes against Iran late February.
Authorities say a Thailand-flagged bulk carrier was hit by a projectile while shipping around the Strait on Wednesday. A fire erupted on board, prompting crew members to evacuate.
Another Japanese container ship sustained minor damage after it was struck 25 nautical miles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The attacks came on the same day as the International Energy Agency said its 32 member states have voted to release a record volume of oil from strategic stockpiles.
Fatih Birol, the IEA's executive director, said: "I can now announce that IEA countries have unanimously decided to launch the largest ever release of emergency oil stocks in our agency's history. IEA countries will be making 400 million barrels of oil available. I repeat: 400 million barrels of oil available to the market to offset the supply lost to the effective closure of the strait."
Complying with the request, German and Japanese officials noted they would release their oil reserves to ease the supply and demand in the global energy market.
Gulf nations have cut oil production by 10 million bpd - volume equal to almost 10 percent of world demand - and the losses were set to increase without rapid restart of shipping flows, according to the IEA.
Iran has launched unrelenting strikes across the Middle East, saying oil infrastructure in neighbouring countires would become its legitimate targets.
A new attack was reported in Bahrain's Muharraq Governorate which set a fuel tank in a facility on huge fire. Sirens sounded later in the morning with more incoming Iranian fire.
Bahrain's military said it had intercepted more than 170 drones and over 100 missiles since the start of the war.
Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani addressed in a cabinet meeting in Doha that Iranian hostilities had not been limited to military targets but also struck civilian sites.
He called for resilience to withstand the hardship as the region is going through "grave circumstances."
