The explosion occurred amid escalating tensions between Iran, Israel and the US in West Asia.

DUBAI, March ⁠5 (Reuters) - ⁠Iran's Revolutionary ⁠Guards said on ​Thursday that they had ‌hit a U.S. ‌tanker ⁠in ⁠the northern part of the Gulf ​and the vessel was on fire. ​There was no immediate ⁠confirmation of ⁠the incident ⁠or ​of a similar attack that ​Iran ⁠claimed earlier this week.

An oil tanker suffered an explosion off the coast of Iraq which damaged a tank that is losing water, signaling wider risks to shipping in the Persian Gulf beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - The Bahamas flagged crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe's hull was likely to have been breached after being hit by a blast while anchored near Iraq's Khor al Zubair port, U.S.

The Justice Department has filed a complaint to legally take ownership of a sanctioned tanker and nearly 2 million barrels of petroleum seized off the coast of Venezuela in December.

Vessels were already coming under fire in the fight with Iran, and now Oman said drone boats are adding to the risks in strategic waters.

An exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to oil-tanker freight rates was soaring after the U.S. and Israel bombarded Iran and raised concern over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Shares of the Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF,

A tanker at anchor off Kuwait experienced a significant explosion on its port side, resulting in water ingress. A small craft was seen leaving the area after the blast. There is an oil leak but no fires,

Hopes of a quick capitulation by the Iranian regime are dwindling as drones and missiles continue to rain down across the region