Did your friend stab you in the back? Chinese crude oil worth crores burnt to ashes near Iran

Iran China Oil Tanker Attack: Amidst the ongoing tension in the Middle East, a news has come which has stunned the entire world. Iran, considered China’s closest strategic and trading partner, has targeted a huge oil tanker heading towards China in its zone of influence. The surprising thing is that China was considered a supporter of Iran in this war, but now the Kuwaiti tanker which was attacked near the coast of UAE was carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil for China.

Missile attack and screams in the dark of night

According to maritime intelligence company ‘Vanguard’, the Kuwaiti flagged huge tanker ‘Al-Salmi’ was fatally attacked by a missile in the dark of night off the coast of UAE. Immediately after the attack, the tanker started burning and a cloud of smoke covered the sky. The fire was so severe that it took hours of effort to extinguish it. The only thing of relief is that all the crew members of the ship have been rescued safely and at present there is no major news of oil spill in the sea. Although Dubai authorities have confirmed the attack, they are refraining from officially disclosing the name of the ship.

A direct attack on China’s sore spot

This attack is no less than a big blow for Beijing because the fuel running through the veins of its economy passes through this route. According to data from TankerTrackers.com, this tanker was loaded with approximately 12 lakh barrels of Saudi crude oil and 8 lakh barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil. The ship was loaded only last month and maritime traffic data shows that its destination was China’s major industrial city ‘Qingdao’. This means that oil worth crores of rupees, which was running a Chinese factory, was ‘swached’ in the middle of the ocean.

Was the Chinese tanker a victim of ‘mistaken identity’?

China is completely dependent on the Gulf countries for its energy needs. In such a situation, the attack on a Chinese tanker in an area under Iran’s influence raises many serious questions. Experts are asking whether this attack happened due to ‘mistaken identity’? Is there such a lack of coordination among Iran-backed groups that they are harming the interests of their own biggest buyer? Or is it a strong message to China that no one is safe on this dangerous path of the sea, even if it is a friend.

Deep connection between ‘Al-Salmi’ and Kuwait-China

Built in 2011, ‘Al-Salmi’ is owned by Kuwait’s state-owned Oil Tanker Company. The attackers have also created instability in the global oil market by targeting this important channel of oil trade between Kuwait and China. This one missile attack not only caused loss worth crores, but also shook the supply chain.

Will the old friendship between China and Iran break now?

There is a 25-year long strategic agreement between China and Iran, which includes billions of dollars of investment and guaranteed oil supplies. But this attack has given sleepless nights to Beijing. If China’s tankers continue to fall victim to ‘unknown’ missiles, its economy may slow down. This incident proves that when the fire of war spreads, it forgets to differentiate between friend and foe. Now the eyes of the whole world are on Beijing whether it will take a tough stand on this loss or drink this bitter sip for the sake of ‘friendship’.