The location of the latest strike matters most for oil. A tanker hit in the northern Gulf, far from Hormuz and near Saudi and Kuwaiti export routes, suggests the risk to shipping is spreading to waters that had been seen as less exposed. That is likely to push war-risk insurance premiums and freight rates higher across the Gulf, not just for strait transits, and to strengthen the supply risk premium in crude. It also sits awkwardly against this morning’s diplomacy-driven dip in prices: talk of reopening Hormuz within days is harder to price in while vessels are being struck across three bodies of water. An oil spill off Oman’s coast adds an environmental and operational risk for regional ports and loading terminals.---While mediators talk about reopening Hormuz in two days, the waters around it are getting more dangerous, with a tanker now hit in the northern Gulf and incidents reported from Saudi Arabia to Oman.Summary:A tanker travelling southeast through the Gulf was struck on its port side by two unknown projectiles 72 nautical miles east of Ras al Khafji, Saudi Arabia, according to UKMTOAll crew are accounted for and no environmental impact has been reported; vessels are advised to transit with cautionAt least six incidents were reported on October 31, three on November 1 and one on November 2 across Hormuz, the Gulf and the Gulf of OmanIran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for hitting two crude tankers it said used an unauthorised route through Hormuz with transponders switched offSatellite imagery showed a laden tanker trailing oil toward Oman’s Batinah fishing coast, and a vessel off Limah, Oman, was possibly on fireA tanker has been struck by two unknown projectiles in the northern Gulf, the latest in a rapid succession of attacks and incidents involving shipping across the region, raising fresh concerns about the safety of energy flows beyond the Strait of Hormuz.The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said it had received a report of an incident 72 nautical miles east of Ras al Khafji, near Saudi Arabia’s border with Kuwait. A tanker travelling southeast through the Gulf was hit on its port side, UKMTO said. All crew were accounted for and there was no reported environmental impact. UKMTO advised vessels to transit with caution and report suspicious activity while authorities investigate. It did not identify the vessel or say who was responsible.The attack is part of a wider pattern. Maritime security reports show at least six incidents on October 31, three on November 1 and one more on November 2, spread across the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On Sunday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy claimed responsibility for hitting two crude tankers it said had used an unauthorised southern route through Hormuz with their tracking transponders switched off and had ignored radio warnings. Iranian state media had earlier described the two vessels as striking mines.Other incidents have hit smaller vessels. A UKMTO warning on November 1 relayed a distress call from a vessel struck by an unknown projectile, which maritime security firm Vanguard identified as the tug and supply vessel Selat Storm. A further report involves the Liberia-flagged multipurpose support vessel SPM Bheem, possibly ablaze about 8 nautical miles off Limah, Oman.There are also signs of environmental damage. Satellite radar imagery from October 31 showed a potentially disabled large tanker north of Kumzar, Oman, and another leaking vessel east of Sohar. Imagery from maritime analytics firm Windward confirmed a laden tanker trailing oil toward Oman’s Batinah coast, posing a threat to local fishing grounds through at least November 6.The surge in incidents comes as Iran and Qatari mediators discuss a plan that Tehran says could reopen Hormuz within two days if Washington meets its conditions. The attack off Saudi Arabia suggests the risk to shipping now extends well beyond the strait itself, and that any diplomatic progress will have to contend with a fast-moving security situation at sea. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.