Ships Warned to Avoid Red Sea, Log Hormuz Voyages after Israel Hits Iran

A military aircraft flies in the sky following a barrage of missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
A military aircraft flies in the sky following a barrage of missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
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Ships Warned to Avoid Red Sea, Log Hormuz Voyages after Israel Hits Iran

A military aircraft flies in the sky following a barrage of missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
A military aircraft flies in the sky following a barrage of missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta

Merchant shipping is continuing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz despite Israel's attacks on Iran on Friday, the multinational, US-led Combined Maritime Force said, although some shipowners were looking to avoid the region.

Iran has in the past threatened to close the critical Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Any closure of the Strait could restrict trade and impact global oil prices.

"The Strait of Hormuz remains open and commercial traffic continues to flow uninterrupted," the Combined Maritime Force said in advisory, adding that events over the past day had increased the likelihood of regional conflict to "significant".

Greece and Britain have advised their merchant shipping fleets to avoid sailing through the Gulf of Aden and to log all voyages through the Strait of Hormuz following Israel's attacks on Iran, documents seen by Reuters showed.

"We have reports that more ship owners are now exercising extra caution and are opting to stay away from the Red Sea” and the Arabian Gulf, said Jakob Larsen, chief safety & security officer with shipping association BIMCO.

If the United States is perceived to be involved in any attacks, "the risk of escalation increases significantly", Larsen said. "Such an escalation could include missile attacks on ships or laying of sea mines in the Strait (of Hormuz)."

Israel said it had targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders during the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iran denies having any such plan.

"Hormuz is a critical waterway, without alternative, for tanker trades and any impediment or threat to free movement of shipping would have a significant effect upon the world’s economy," tanker shipping association INTERTANKO said.

Greek ship owners were urged to send details of their vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz to Greece’s maritime ministry, according to one of the documents issued by Greece's shipping association, which was sent on Friday. Greek owners control the world's biggest tanker fleet.

"Due to developments in the Middle East and the escalation of military actions in the wider region, the (Greek) Ministry of Shipping ... urgently calls on shipping companies to send ... the details of Greek-owned ships that are sailing in the maritime area of the Strait of Hormuz," the document said.

All UK-flagged vessels, which include the Gibraltar, Bermuda and Isle of Man 'red ensign' registries, were advised to avoid sailing through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a separate document issued by the UK's transport ministry said.

If sailing through those areas, vessels must adhere to their highest level of security measures and limit the number of crew on deck during voyages, said the advisory, seen by Reuters.

The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, is continuing operations as normal but is monitoring developments in the region, an Aspides official told Reuters.



Eight OPEC+ Alliance Members Move toward Output Hike at Meeting

FILE PHOTO: OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
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Eight OPEC+ Alliance Members Move toward Output Hike at Meeting

FILE PHOTO: OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other key members of the OPEC+ alliance will discuss crude production on Saturday, with analysts expecting the latest in a series of output hikes for August.

The wider OPEC+ group -- comprising the 12-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies -- began output cuts in 2022 in a bid to prop up prices.

But in a policy shift, eight alliance members surprised markets by announcing they would significantly raise production from May, sending oil prices plummeting.

Oil prices have been hovering around a low $65-$70 per barrel.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman will take part in Saturday's meeting, expected to be held by video.

Analysts expect the so-called "Voluntary Eight" (V8) nations to decide on another output increase of 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) -- the same target approved for May, June and July.

The group has placed an "increased focus on regaining market shares over price stability," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen.

Enforcing quotas

The group will likely justify its decision by officially referring to "low inventories and solid demand as reasons for the faster unwind of the production cuts", UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo told AFP.

But the failure of some OPEC member countries, such as Kazakhstan, to stick to their output quotas, is "a factor supporting the decision", he added.

According to Jorge Leon, an analyst at Rystad Energy, an output hike of 411,000 bpd will translate into "around 250,000 or 300,000" actual barrels.

An estimate by Bloomberg showed that the alliance's production increased by only 200,000 bpd in May, despite doubling the quotas.

No effect from Israel-Iran war

Analysts expect no major effect on current oil prices, as another output hike is widely anticipated.

The meeting comes after a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which briefly sent prices above $80 a barrel amid concerns over a possible closing of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about one-fifth of the world's oil supply.

As fears of a wider Middle East conflict have eased, and given there "were no supply disruptions so far", the war is "unlikely to impact the decision" of the alliance, Staunovo added.

The Israel-Iran conflict "if anything supports a continued rapid production increase in the unlikely event Iran's ability to produce and export get disrupted," Hansen told AFP.