The overall maritime risk to most commercial ships in the Middle East Gulf remains low despite a series of destabilising events in Iran, according to security consultancy Dryad Global.

The Islamic republic is reeling from the coronavirus epidemic, which has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranians, plus the dual economic impacts of US sanctions and low oil prices.

But Dryad does not believe that will be the impetus for the same types of attacks seen last year.