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Ships Attacked in Hormuz This Week, Chevron CEO Says
Oil Giant Would Not Consider Paying Toll to Move Ships Through Strait
Key Takeaways:
- Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said multiple ships have been attacked in recent days, showing the threat to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz remains “very real” despite potential peace talks.
- Even if a U.S.–Iran deal is reached, shipowners and insurers must feel conditions are safe before normal oil flows resume.
- With vessels previously trapped and crews stranded, owners may hesitate to re-enter the strait, prolonging disruptions to global energy shipping.
Several vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz have been attacked in recent days, underscoring the “very real” risks that remain for shipowners in the Persian Gulf whether or not a peace accord is signed, Chevron Corp. CEO Mike Wirth said.
“There still has been kinetic activity this week, some of which has been reported in the media — some of which has not,” Wirth said on Bloomberg TV on May 29. “We see risks very real still in that environment.”
Asked to clarify what hadn’t yet been reported, Wirth said several ships have been attacked.
“There have been vessels that have been in transit that have suffered attacks,” he said. “They’re maybe not every day, but there have been multiple incidents that have occurred.”
Chevron would not consider paying a toll to move ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Wirth said. The company currently has six vessels in the Persian Gulf waterway that are under charter, meaning they belong to a third party. It will be the shipowner who decides whether or not to move through the strait, Wirth said.
It means that shipowners and their insurers will have to feel comfortable that passage is safe for oil to begin moving again, whether or not the U.S. and Iran reach a peace deal in the coming days. They will also have to be willing to send ships back into the strait for trade to get back to normal, Wirth said.
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth discusses the risks for tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and says that multiple vessels have been attacked in recent days https://t.co/Lm8JZVo2bm pic.twitter.com/kZjtkMevuW — Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 29, 2026
“Shipowners have to be comfortable sending ships back in after having ships trapped for months and crews trapped for months,” he said. “They may or may not be willing to move all of their vessels back in.”
Written by Kevin Crowley, Annmarie Hordern and Jonathan Ferro
