At least four oil and gas tankers have turned back from attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data showed, as renewed attacks on vessels in the critical waterway heightened safety and security concerns. The diversions come after a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker were damaged near the strait on Tuesday following reports that Iran fired missiles at ships in the waterway, prompting maritime authorities to raise the threat risk for transiting vessels to 'severe'. US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was "over" on Wednesday, after fighting flared between the countries sparked by Iranian attacks on ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic shipping route remains a flashpoint in the conflict, which began in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran insists on controlling the waterway, saying it will charge fees for passage and threatening to hit vessels that deviate from its authorised route. Its military has struck at least three ships in recent days, which prompted extensive US strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday followed by retaliatory attacks from Iran on Gulf countries.
