Sinokor Crews Offered Pay Increase for Hormuz Round Trips

Commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz faced another series of attacks on Monday, leaving two tankers abandoned after being struck by projectiles and a third vessel reporting damage near the United Arab Emirates.

The Kuwait Oil Tanker Company product tanker *Kaifan *sent out a distress call after being hit by what crew members believed was either a drone or missile approximately eight nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman. According to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the strike ignited a fire in the engine room, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel in a lifeboat.

The incident followed a separate attack on the Malta-flagged product tanker Kavomaleas, operated by Greece’s Dynacom Tankers. The vessel was struck by two projectiles near Kumzar, Oman, causing an engine room fire. After activating the ship’s fire suppression system, the crew evacuated safely. All seafarers were rescued, while the tanker remained adrift and on fire.

In a third incident, another merchant vessel reported damage to its steering gear after being hit around 17 nautical miles east of Dibba, UAE. The crew was unharmed, and no pollution was reported.

The attacks took place during the tenth consecutive night of U.S. strikes against Iranian military targets, further disrupting commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The growing security risks are also driving up operating costs. Reuters reported that marine war-risk insurance premiums for ships transiting Hormuz have surged to as much as 10 percent of a vessel’s value following the latest incidents.

The heightened threat is also affecting seafarers. According to Bloomberg, South Korea’s Sinokor Group, the world’s largest owner of very large crude carriers (VLCCs), is offering crew members an additional six months’ salary for completing a one-month voyage through the Strait of Hormuz to load oil in Saudi Arabia or Iraq before discharging cargo in the Gulf of Oman.