When interviewed by Lloyd’s List following the drone attack on the Mercer Street tanker, Risk Intelligence CEO Hans Tino Hansen characterised the Iranian attack as a “serious escalation” from previous tit-for-tat attacks.

2 August 2021

Following last week’s drone attack on the Zodiac-operated product tanker Mercer Street, the International Chamber of Shipping issued an official recommendation that “all voyages are thoroughly threat and risk assessed, to minimise potential dangers and damages.”

Lloyds List published a an in-depth analysis of the situation, in which journalists Richard Meade, Michelle Wiese Bockmann and Declan Bush write that ‘while at least 18 separate incidents involving shipping have been linked to Iran in recent years, previous tit-for-tat attacks have been calculated to send a coded political message, not to kill crew or sink ships.’

When asked to provide perspective on this development, Risk Intelligence CEO Hans Tino Hansen said that the attack seemed to indicate a “serious escalation” in the shadow war between Israel and Iran, but he argued that the risk to internationally trading ships unrelated to the conflict between Iran and Israel has not increased, despite industry concerns.

Arguing against the industry’s concern that the risk for the international shipping companies increased, even if they are not involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel, CEO Hans Tino Hansen said:

“The risk of collateral damage is of course always possible, but not likely as both parties have been very precise in their targeting.”

The full Lloyd’s List article can be found here: Shipping reviews security links in wake of fatal tanker attack

Updates on the situation in the Gulf of Oman can be found on the Risk Intelligence System.