March 7, 2026
Tankers, tantrums & takes
They all said Hormuz closure would be brief. What if they were wrong?
Oil routes choke, tanker rates explode — commenters cry 'hype', 'Putin plot', 'go green'
TLDR: With Hormuz still risky, tanker rates blast past $500k/day and crews can refuse to sail, making a quick reopening look unlikely. Commenters split between calling the panic overblown, alleging a Putin windfall, warning Asia’s exposed, and saying this proves why renewables matter — and why the drama isn’t stopping
The mood is pure internet chaos as the Strait of Hormuz stays dicey and tanker rates rocket into meme territory. Supertankers (VLCCs) are clocking over $500,000 a day, with one provisional deal whispered at $757,772. Crews can now legally refuse to sail into the war zone, insurers are charging a fortune, and owners are steering toward safer Atlantic ports — all while hopes of a quick fix fade. The article draws parallels to the Red Sea crisis: even US strikes didn’t bring ships back because missiles down ≠ insurance down.
But the comments? Absolutely on fire. One camp calls the piece “pearl‑clutching” panic, with onecommentman blasting the headline as an “absolutely absurd title,” insisting the world economy won’t implode just because some oil routes are jammed. Another camp says follow the money: dzink claims this is a “Putin payday” and even drops the “avatar joystick war” line. Then there’s the geopolitics crowd: Animats shrugs that the US will be fine, but Asia’s in trouble, joking America could just “make up with Canada” like texting your ex for oil. Cynics like LAC‑Tech predict the US will “declare victory” while Iran suffers and doubles down on nukes. And the climate chorus chimes in: standeven says China’s sprint to solar and wind suddenly looks like the winning bet. It’s drama, doom, and dunking — classic internet energy.
Key Points
- •VLCC freight benchmarks on MEG-China and MEG-Singapore routes hit record highs, with individual fixtures reported above $500,000–$750,000 per day.
- •Some VLCCs are loading Saudi crude at a Red Sea pipeline terminus for delivery to India as alternatives to Hormuz transits.
- •The Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, and Middle East Gulf are designated Warlike Operations Areas, giving seafarers the right to refuse to sail and seek repatriation.
- •War-risk insurance costs are elevated and Iranian attacks continue, making a near-term large-scale resumption of Hormuz transits unlikely without improved safety and economics.
- •Experience from the Red Sea crisis shows military action alone did not restore commercial traffic; the US ordered DFC insurance guarantees to support potential transits.