WASHINGTON (March 31, 2026) – Early Tuesday, an Iranian drone struck a fully loaded Kuwaiti tanker while anchored near the United Arab Emirates. The airstrike resulted in a fire, causing damage, but officials were able to extinguish it. All crew members on board were safe. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation warned that this incident could result in an oil spill in surrounding waters.
The Kuwaiti tanker attack pushed oil prices nearly 4% higher, reaching $107 a barrel. This strike is the latest in a string of attacks on merchant vessels carried out by missiles and explosive air and sea drones in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, since the start of the U.S. and Israel’s war on February 28th. Iran now has near-total control over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global fuel shipments.
For additional context and analysis, please consider Gordon Gray, the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Professor Gray directs the Middle East Policy Forum, which brings speakers to the Elliott School to discuss topical issues related to the region. Professor Gray also was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2005 until 2008; his responsibilities included the promotion of U.S. interests in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, and oversight of the bureau’s Regional Affairs office.
To schedule an interview, please contact Nadia Payne at nadia [dot] payne
gwu [dot] edu (nadia[dot]payne[at]gwu[dot]edu) or GW Media Relations at gwmediagwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-