Two oil tankers, the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Malta-flagged Zefyros, were struck in Iraqi waters, prompting Iraq's State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) to suspend operations at its oil terminals. This incident, occurring amidst escalating Middle East conflict and a string of attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf, has raised significant risks to global energy supply. The attacks, which also saw a ship hit near Jebel Ali in the UAE and a Thai cargo vessel struck near Hormuz, have led to fears of broader regional supply disruptions. Consequently, global benchmark Brent crude surged as much as 10% to $101.59 a barrel, overshadowing a record 400-million-barrel oil reserves release coordinated by the International Energy Agency.