Conflict shifts into Gulf shipping lanes, pushing oil above $100Last updated: September 10, 2026 | 07:564 MIN READPassengers using “Click and Travel” service launched at Dubai airport to speed up airport checks using biometrics and facial recognition to process passengers in 12-15 seconds. Photo: Virendra Saklani/Gulf NewsThe six-month US-Iran war has entered a new phase, with the fight moving directly into commercial shipping lanes near the UAE, oil prices breaking above $100 a barrel and Iran facing renewed international scrutiny over its nuclear programme.For residents of the UAE, the immediate concerns are shipping, aviation, fuel prices, airspace and the possibility that attacks could spread further across the Gulf.Tanker war escalatesThe most serious development overnight was a major escalation at sea.The US says it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after Iran repeatedly attacked or attempted to attack American naval vessels. The fighting has already caused casualties among commercial crews, with a seafarer reportedly killed in the Gulf after a tanker was targeted. UKMTO reported merchant vessels were being hit by disabling fire in the Gulf region.Iran has also threatened tankers around Bahrain and Kuwait, raising the prospect of a wider maritime confrontation.This is particularly significant because the conflict is no longer confined to Iranian waters or the central Strait of Hormuz. Commercial vessels operating around the Gulf including UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and the Gulf of Oman are increasingly exposed.What to watchThe critical question is whether Iran and the US continue targeting ships rather than only military assets.If commercial shipping becomes effectively unsafe, insurers could sharply increase war-risk premiums, more vessels could avoid Hormuz and energy companies could divert cargoes — potentially pushing oil prices substantially higher.Oil has broken above $100 — and Hormuz is the reasonBrent crude moved above $100 a barrel as the latest attacks raised fears that the conflict could seriously disrupt energy supplies. Brent crossed the $101 threshold as of 9.44am Tokyo time, as the tanker attacks intensified.Preliminary Kpler data showed only six commodity vessels passed through the strait on Tuesday, compared with a 10-day average of 12. Before the war, roughly 125 commercial vessels crossed the waterway each day.That matters far beyond the Gulf. Hormuz normally carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies. Reducing dependence on Hormuz