The frequency of Iranian attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf region has been on the rise recently.

Bloomberg reported on the 20th (local time) that Iran has recently been focusing its attacks on the engine rooms of vessels that violated its self-imposed regulations, exacerbating damage to ships and posing a new threat to the flow of energy transportation.

According to data compiled by regional naval groups and security consultancy alerts, at least 23 vessels were hit in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters during the first two weeks of this month.

Among them, at least five ships suffered direct hits to their engine rooms, the heart of the vessels.

When an engine room is struck, it causes fires, results in the complete loss of power and propulsion, halts ship operations for months, and incurs massive repair costs.

Middle Eastern oil-producing countries have expressed their commitment to maintaining oil supplies despite the string of Iranian attacks.

According to preliminary data from trade data analytics firm Kpler, the average daily oil exports from the Middle East over the past seven days slightly exceeded pre-conflict levels.

However, concerns are growing that as Iran's attacks intensify, they could further worsen the shortage of available vessels, which is one of the biggest constraint factors in the global crude oil market.

A shipping and maritime security official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said, "Along with the overall increase in the number of attacks, cases of engine rooms being hit have noticeably increased," while adding, "It is difficult to conclude whether Iran intentionally targeted only the engine rooms."

Phil Belcher, marine director at INTERTANKO (International Association of Independent Tanker Owners), explained, "With the surge in attack frequency, fires causing engine room damage and operational incapacitation are occurring more frequently."

The persistent strikes targeting ship engines are reminiscent of the Iran-Iraq "Tanker War" of the 1980s.

At the time, both countries intensively targeted the engine rooms of each other's tankers to block their operations, with some attacks causing fires and explosions that led to ship sinkings.

Dozens of ships damaged or sunk back then were abandoned in the northern Gulf for years.

At least two of the recently struck vessels have sunk, including one container ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz last week.

After the container ship sank, the Pakistan Hydrographic Department warned that containers were drifting in waters near the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Last month, there were no attacks leading to engine damage, but over the preceding months, at least seven non-Iranian-flagged vessels suffered engine room hits.

The United States also targeted engine rooms to neutralize vessels when it implemented shipping blockade measures against Iran.

Shipping and security officials analyzed that Iran has recently increased the proportion of using missiles instead of drones to strike vessels.

Infrared-guided missiles tend to home in on the areas of a ship that generate the most heat, and they carry a much larger explosive payload than drones.

As long as these attacks targeting engine rooms continue, it will be difficult to alleviate shipowners' anxieties, and struck vessels will inevitably be removed from operation for long periods for repairs.

This risks deepening the shortage of oil tankers to transport crude oil, thereby driving up energy shipping freight rates.

Earlier this month, charter rates for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) in some regions became more expensive than the cost of launching a rocket into space.

Analysts at brokerage firm Oil Brokerage pointed out in a report dated the 19th, "As these are waters where shipowners are reluctant to deploy vessels, even a single VLCC being hit has a significant ripple effect on the market."

Threats to the safety of crews navigating through these waters are also growing.

According to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), which provides regional maritime security intelligence, when a recent bulk carrier was hit, the navigation bridge and crew quarters were directly struck.

Jakob Larsen, head of safety and security at BIMCO, the world's largest shipping association, expressed concern, saying, "Attacking the engine room or the bridge can maximize ship damage while keeping the risk of oil spills relatively low. However, unfortunately, if these areas of a ship are struck, there is a very high risk of severe casualties among the crew."

(Photo: Getty Images)