Oil supertanker costs in the Middle East climbed to their highest level on record as conflict between the U.S. and Iran disrupts shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Major marine war risk providers have started to scrap cover for vessels operating in the Persian Gulf as the fallout from a sudden security shock hobbles key shipping routes in the region.

The benchmark freight rate for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) — used to ship 2 million barrels of oil from the Middle East to China — hit an all-time high of $423,736 per day on Monday, data from LSEG showed. That marked an increase of more than 94% from Friday’s close.

Alongside a significant jump in oil and gas prices, the stratospheric rise in the cost of hauling crude oil follows the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran over the weekend. The expanding conflict has resulted in the effective halt of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most important oil choke points, located in the gulf between Oman and Iran.

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards senior official said Monday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed and warned any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway would be attacked, state media reported. The claim has since been disputed by the U.S. military’s Central Command, CENTCOM, Fox News reported.

“Charterers in the VLCC segment stepped back from the market and avoided securing vessels as multiple incidents have led to increased threat levels around the strait of Hormuz, despite the waterway not being officially closed,” Sheel Bhattacharjee, head of freight pricing in Europe at Argus Media, told CNBC by email.

Oil producers in the Middle East have not yet announced a halt to any production or loading yet, and ports in the UAE, Oman and Kuwait remain operational, Bhattacharjee said, citing market sources.

“But most shipowners were avoiding transits through the strait of Hormuz after insurers cancelled the war risk coverage for vessels in certain areas of the region,” Bhattacharjee said.

It is estimated that roughly one-third of seaborne crude oil trade moves through the strategically important waterway, alongside 19% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows and 14% of global refined products trade, according to Argus Media.

Leading maritime insurers have canceled war risk cover for vessels operating in the Middle East over recent days, amid reports of attacks on multiple ships traversing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Alongside the New York-based American Club, marine insurers including Norway’s Gard and Skuld, Britain’s NorthStandard and the London P&I Club said they were scrapping war risk cover for ships in the region.

Adrian Beciri, CEO of DUCAT Maritime, a Cyprus-based logistics firm specializing in dry bulk, said the knock-on effects of the sprawling Middle East conflict were being felt across the globe.

“We were trying to hire a dry bulk vessel to carry our typical rice food supplies to West Africa, which is around the Cape of Good Hope. You would think that is a million miles away from the conflict zone,” Beciri told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Tuesday.

“We actually lost the ship. Someone had paid 50% more than they typically would do to carry coal from Indonesia to the west coast of India. Why did that vessel attract such a high rate? The answer is because the vessel owner was uncertain of getting cargo from the Persian Gulf area,” he continued.

“So, the consequences are far and wide, and this is potentially a double whammy. If we’re looking at the Hormuz closing and the Suez effectively being tampered with by the Houthis, this could be quite significant — much like what we saw during the Covid era and the attacks that were happening there.”

Even if oil tankers are only temporarily blocked from the Strait of Hormuz, it can ratchet up global energy prices, raise shipping costs and create significant supply delays.

The Strait of Hormuz is also key for global container trade. Ports in this region, such as Jebel Ali and Khor Fakkan, are specialized transshipment hubs that serve as intermediary points in global networks.

Shipping giants, including MSC, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM, have also issued fresh guidance, seeking to prioritize safety amid a deteriorating security situation.

Oil prices have soared after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran continued on Sunday night.

Brent crude prices hit a new 52-week high on Monday, surging 9.3% to reach $79.40, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate prices also rose more than 9% to $73.10.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the “overwhelming military offensive” — which he has dubbed Operation Epic Fury — would continue until the U.S.’s objectives are achieved. Israel launched fresh strikes against both Iran and against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon late on Sunday, which came after Iran attacked military and infrastructure targets across several countries in the region.

As the U.S. continues to target Iranian air defense systems and naval capabilities, global oil supplies have come into sharp focus.

Amrita Sen, founder and director of research at Energy Aspects, told CNBC on Monday that she expects oil prices to likely hold at around $80 level for some time.

Sen said that it is unlikely that the Strait of Hormuz — through which 13-15 million barrels, or 20% of global supply, of oil flows — would be closed altogether. She added that the bigger risk stems from one-off attacks on vessels passing through the area.

Sen said that the U.S. and Israel have the superior military power to ultimately neutralize Iran’s ability to completely shut off the Strait, a key shipping channel for oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait.

But single attacks on ships are more difficult to prevent. “This is something we’ve warned right throughout to our clients,” she said.

After three tankers were hit over the weekend, shippers are now being extremely cautious about going in, she added.

“That is the biggest issue right now — how do Asian refiners actually get the volumes from the Middle East?” Sen added.

She noted that Oman and certain UAE grids can bypass the Strait, while Saudi Arabia has contingency plans to move its oil through the East-West pipeline via the Red Sea.

“But even if you are able to move 5 million out through other methods, about 10 is still stuck,” she added.

Sen added that, if energy infrastructure is hit, the price of oil could hit $100.

She added that “the stakes are just too high” when it comes to potential attacks on infrastructure.  

The Trump administration has warned it would be “very wise” for Iran to make a deal, amid reports the White House is considering fresh military action against Tehran as soon as this weekend.

It comes shortly after Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of failing to address core U.S. demands during nuclear talks in Switzerland this week. Iran’s foreign minister previously reported progress in the talks, saying the two countries had reached an understanding over the “guiding principles” for the negotiations.

Speaking at a news briefing Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said there were “many reasons and arguments that once could make for a strike against Iran,” noting that the two countries remain “very far apart” on some issues.

The U.S. president had a “very successful” operation last June, Leavitt said, when U.S. stealth bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities as part of “Operation Midnight Hammer.”

“The president has always been very clear though with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option. And Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and this administration,” Leavitt said.

The White House has said it still hopes to reach a diplomatic resolution over Tehran’s nuclear program, although U.S. media has reported that the military could be prepared to strike Iran as early as the weekend.

The U.S., for its part, has built up a significant presence of air and naval assets, while Iran has conducted military drills in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and announced joint naval drills with Russia in the Sea of Oman.

Laura James, Middle East senior analyst at Oxford Analytica, described the current situation as “extremely dangerous,” with the U.S. and Iran “certainly closer” to an outright conflict than last week.

“The thing that is now a particular concern over the past 24 hours is the very rapid pace at which the United States is reinforcing its air power in the region. That, of course, can still be signalling and pressure for a particular diplomatic outcome,” James told CNBC’s “Access Middle East” on Thursday.

“But as more and more planes comes in and more and more equipment comes in, that signalling gets more and more expensive. And therefore, the payoff you want for it in diplomatic terms has to be larger — and there is simply no sign Tehran can offer the absolute minimum that Washington is likely to demand,” she added.

Oil prices

Energy market participants have been closely watching the outcome of the U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva, particularly as it relates to the Strait of Hormuz, a major international waterway that Iran partially closed on Tuesday citing “security precautions.”

Located in the gulf between Oman and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is recognized as one of the world’s most important oil choke points.

About 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, accounting for roughly 31% of global seaborne crude flows, data provided by market intelligence firm Kpler showed.

Oil prices were higher on Thursday, extending gains after settling up more than 4% in the previous session.

International benchmark Brent crude futures with April delivery rose 1.5% to $71.41 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with March delivery stood 1.7% higher at $66.27.

— CNBC’s Lee Ying Shan contributed to this report.