Strait of Hormuz Security Incidents Highlight Ongoing Risks, Even as US‑Iran Agreement Sparks New Oil Flow.

A tanker captain reported hearing two explosions while navigating the Strait of Hormuz, nine nautical miles southeast of Kumzar in Oman, on Thursday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the crew and vessel were safe and no environmental damage was observed. U.S. Central Command confirmed it still maintains a naval blockade of Iran, having redirected 49 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two since the latest incidents. Because of a memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran in June, U.S. imports of Middle‑East crude are set to reach about 600,000 barrels per day in August, the highest since the Iran war. Saudi Arabian barrels are also rerouted through the Suez Canal, boosting flow to American ports. U.S. Vice‑President John D. Vance said the negotiations with Iran would be "messy" and would take time, while Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized U.S. tactics and called for fulfillment of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Separately, Greenpeace staff noted an oil spill from a stranded Russian‑shadow‑fleet tanker near Oman’s southern coast, warning of a potential large environmental disaster even though the incident is far from the Strait of Hormuz.