U.S. and Iran exchange threats - Tuesday, 10 March
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including thr...
An oil tanker carrying one million barrels of crude oil exploded near the Libyan coast, Bloomberg reported on 30 June.
The explosion occurred on Friday in the engine room of the Vilamoura, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, approximately 90 nautical miles (165 kilometres) off the Libyan coast, the operator TMS Tankers confirmed.
In a statement, the company said: “There were no injuries and no pollution.”
The blast flooded the engine room, leaving the vessel disabled.
The vessel, Vilamoura, had previously called at Russian ports, including Ust-Luga and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk, to load Kazakh oil.
The Vilamoura had departed from the Libyan port of Zueitina and was en route to the British territory of Gibraltar across the Mediterranean when the incident took place.
According to Bloomberg, the company operating Vilamoura said the ship is currently being towed to Greece, where experts will assess the damage. The cause of the explosion remains unknown. No injuries or environmental pollution have been reported.
This incident is part of a worrying pattern. Bloomberg cites maritime risk consultancy Vanguard Tech as saying that since the start of 2025, four other vessels which had visited Russian ports have suffered unexplained explosions.
Shipowners are now deploying divers and submersibles to inspect hulls for possible underwater mines or sabotage devices.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has addressed the U.N. Security Council, saying the world must consider how effective its engagement with the Taliban-run country is as millions face hunger.
British MPs have rejected a proposal to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, opting instead to give ministers flexible powers to impose restrictions on platforms.
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asia Cup match.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 10th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump called his recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very good.” The two leaders spoke on Monday about the situation in Iran and other international issues.
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