Shipping operators are paying tanker captains up to $100,000 a month and per-trip bonuses of $50,000 to secure crews, far exceeding the typical $8,000 to $12,000 monthly master salary. To evade Iranian missile strikes, some vessels are transiting without navigation lights, phones, or AIS tracking signals while hugging the Omani coast under U.S. military protection. Maritime security firm Vanguard recorded at least 14 attacks since Sept. 20, including four vessels hit since last Saturday.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Brent Crude Surges 5% as Hormuz Tanker Attacks Hit Record High
Commodities13 days ago
West Texas Intermediate oil rose to $92.82 a barrel on Thursday as supply fears intensified following a series of attacks on vessels in the Middle East. The global Brent benchmark climbed more than 5% to $105.46 as shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz plummeted to its lowest level in over two months. Kpler data shows only seven commodity ships crossed the waterway on Tuesday, while daily crude flows slid 27% to at least 10.1M bpd.
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