In the past 24 hours, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has targeted 7 violating oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. This operation is part of efforts to confront violators of Iran's maritime laws and has increased the severity of the Iranian armed forces' responses to violations in the Persian Gulf. Over the past month, navigation in the northern part of the Strait of Hormuz has been completely under Iran's control, while the southern part has become less crowded due to satellite imagery.
Attention to Oil Terminals and Their Impact on the Global Market
The IRGC Navy warned on October 9 that it would pursue violators of the Strait of Hormuz to the fullest extent of the law. In this context, recently, 4 oil tankers in the northern part of the Persian Gulf were targeted for conducting illegal ship-to-ship operations. These tankers are in motion, but the main point of impact on oil exports is the oil terminals and their related infrastructure.
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The oil terminals of the Persian Gulf countries are highly significant, and in the event of intensified conflicts, these facilities become key points for energy exports. For example, the Ras Tanura terminal in Saudi Arabia is one of the most important crude oil export centers for Aramco and is connected to major oil fields such as Ghawar and Abqaiq.
The Strategic Role of Oil Terminals in Energy Security
The Yanbu terminal is located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia and receives oil from production areas via the East-West pipeline. This terminal is of high strategic importance due to its lack of need for tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with an export capacity of 4.5 million barrels per day, although its operations have recently been suspended due to repeated attacks by Yemeni armed forces.
In the UAE, the Fujairah terminal on the east coast is recognized as an important center for diesel and petroleum product exports. This terminal is under pressure due to frequent attacks and has been targeted at least 19 times since the onset of the attack on Iran.
Kuwait also plays a role in exporting crude oil and refined products with its Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah terminals, which are connected to the country's refineries and oil network. These terminals were also targeted in the first month of the American coalition's attack on Iran, and their operations were suspended.
Qatar, with its oil export terminals on Halul Island and the port of Mesaieed, plays a crucial role in the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), but the country's gas facilities have also been disrupted since the attack on Iran.
The Sitra terminal in Bahrain is one of the main loading and exporting centers for petroleum products in the country, and alongside it, Saudi terminals are recognized as bottlenecks for oil exports. In the event of heightened tensions, these terminals could be viewed as strategic targets for Iran.
Overall, given the intensity of tensions in the region and the likelihood of oil terminals being targeted, the impacts on oil export trends and energy security will be clearly observable. These terminals act not only as loading points but also as vital chokepoints for global energy supply.
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