**Iran Strikes Again at Procopiou’s Fleet: Two Tankers Hit in Strait of Hormuz**
In a significant escalation of maritime tensions, a second tanker managed by Greek shipowner George Procopiou’s Dynacom Tankers Management was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. This incident has coincided with a dramatic decline in commercial traffic through the strategically vital waterway, where over 700 tankers are currently gathered in the wider region.
The vessel, identified as the Acheloos, is a Liberian-flagged very large crude carrier (VLCC) with a deadweight tonnage of 306,000. Delivered to Dynacom earlier this year, the Acheloos was reportedly hit by an unidentified projectile while sailing off the coast of Oman. The attack was confirmed by Dynacom, which stated that all crew members aboard the ship were safe and accounted for. Following the strike, the Acheloos proceeded to an anchorage for inspections and damage assessments, with no reports of pollution emerging from the incident.
The Acheloos, capable of carrying approximately two million barrels of oil, is one of the newest additions to Procopiou’s fleet, having been delivered by China’s Hengli Heavy Industry in June. The attack on the Acheloos occurred around the same time as another strike on a Dynacom-managed tanker, the Kavomaleas, a Malta-flagged product tanker built in 2025. The Kavomaleas was struck by two projectiles, igniting a fire in its engine room while it was located about eight nautical miles northwest of Oman’s Kumzar. The ship's master activated the fire-suppression system and ordered an evacuation, with Omani authorities later rescuing the crew and ensuring their safe transfer ashore.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the attacks, asserting that two oil tankers had “exploded” and been immobilized after attempting to navigate what they described as an unsafe southern route. However, it remains unclear whether this statement specifically referred to the Acheloos and Kavomaleas.
These incidents mark a troubling development for Procopiou, who had been one of the few major shipowners willing to continue operations through the Strait of Hormuz amid rising hostilities. By April, Dynacom had reportedly transported around 6.5 million barrels of oil through the strait, establishing itself as the largest non-Iranian commercial operator in the region.
The recent attacks have contributed to a sharp decline in shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz. Latest data indicates that only four commodity vessels crossed the strait on Monday, a decrease from seven the previous day. Among these, two tankers exited the strait—one carrying petrochemicals and the other sailing empty—while an oil tanker and a bitumen tanker entered the Gulf. Notably, there were no VLCCs or liquefied natural gas carriers making the crossing, signaling a significant reduction in the movement of larger vessels through this critical maritime corridor.
The average number of supertankers utilizing the strait has dropped to two per day, down from five the previous week and eight in late June and early July. Additionally, tanker-to-tanker oil transfers outside of Hormuz have slowed considerably, with satellite imagery revealing only one pair of vessels conducting a transfer off Oman on July 18, compared to three pairs the week prior.
In a related incident, Procopiou’s fleet faced challenges beyond the Gulf. The Dynacom-managed tanker Asia was struck by a drone at Russia’s Novorossiysk oil terminal in the Black Sea on the same day as the attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. The crew was able to extinguish the fire that resulted from the drone strike, with no injuries or pollution reported. The Asia subsequently moved to an anchorage for inspections.
As tensions continue to escalate in the region, the implications for global shipping and energy markets remain uncertain. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for oil transportation, is being closely monitored by industry stakeholders and governments alike, as the potential for further incidents looms amidst ongoing geopolitical unrest.