A Japanese oil tanker was damanged in an explosion Wednesday as it was near the Strait of Hormuz. The explosion left one crew member injured.

According to statements from Japan’s Ministry of Transport, the explosion could have been an attack. The tanker was sailing towards Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates to check the damage.

“In addition, a crew member saw light on the horizon just before the explosion, so (Mitsui O.S.K.) believes there is a possibility it was caused by an outside attack,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Importance of the Strait of Hormuz

Approximately 17 million barrels of oil pass via the Strait of Hormuz per day with Middle East crude oil accounting for 90 per cent of Japan’s total imports. The strait leads into the Persian Gulf past Oman and Iran, and is a transit point for approximately 40 per cent of the world’s oil tankers.

Photo credits.

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