Two crude oil tankers collided and caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz energy chokepoint, triggering immediate concern across global energy and shipping markets. Iranian naval assets were observed approaching the incident area shortly after the collision, raising the risk of interference. The incident now risks quickly evolving into an ecological disaster.
Bloomberg cites the Pakistan Navy's new maritime navigation warning issued for the Gulf of Oman around the incident area where Front Eagle, a 1,100-foot supertanker, collided with tanker Adalynn early Tuesday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, includes the warning of an oil spill covering 10 square kilometers (equivalent to about 2,471.05 acres or the size of a small city).
The plain English navigation warning reads:
Region:
- Gulf of Oman – NAVAREA IX, which covers the northwest Indian Ocean region, including the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.
- Charts Referenced: British Admiralty nautical charts BA 2837, 2858, and 3520—used for precise navigation.
Incident:
A collision between two vessels was reported at position Latitude: 25°21.38'N & Longitude: 056°51.62'E (This location is just southeast of the Strait of Hormuz, in the Gulf of Oman).
Environmental Impact:
A visible oil spill covering 10 square kilometers has been observed at the site.
Satellite imagery from a day ago via Tanker Trackers showed Adalynn ablaze and adrift while noting that maritime diesel had leaked from at least one of the vessels.
Here's footage of Adalynn on fire (view more).
⚠️ Harrowing images of dark fleet tanker ADALYNN (IMO #9231767) post collision. pic.twitter.com/Y1FUBNNtis
— Ed Finley–Richardson (@ed_fin) June 17, 2025
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A significant ecological disaster could be developing near the critical maritime chokepoint. The extent of the spill remains unconfirmed; however, preliminary maritime alerts indicate a surface oil patch has been detected. Satellite imagery—expected in the near term—will be critical in assessing the true scale of the spill.
