Record Weekly Ship Attacks Reported Near the Strait of Hormuz as Oil Shipments Slow

The number of ships reporting attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz has reached a record weekly high, according to analysis of incident reports from the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. Twelve vessels were attacked between 5 and 11 October, the largest weekly total reported since the US-Israeli war with Iran began. Four more attacks have been reported so far this week, extending a pattern that has raised concern over one of the world's most important shipping routes.

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The data shows six vessels were struck on Sunday alone, which the agency described as a one-day high. The previous week saw 10 ships reporting attacks, indicating a further increase in the pace of incidents. The timeline used in the analysis is approximate because some reports record the date of the attack and others the date it was reported.

The rise in attacks has coincided with a slowdown in the recovery of oil shipments through the strait, based on industry data. The waterway is a critical passage for energy exports, and any disruption can affect shipping schedules, insurance costs and market confidence. The US military's Central Command said commercial traffic continues to move through the Strait of Hormuz with coordinated protection from US forces and regional partners.

The incidents are taking place against a backdrop of heightened maritime tension in and around the strait. Experts cited in the reporting said Iran has been seeking to assert greater control over the waterway as the US military increases the number of tankers it escorts through the southern part of the strait to reduce the risk of strikes. The same reporting also says attacks have been extending to vessels farther away from the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting a wider area of risk for commercial shipping.

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One of the Sunday attacks was captured in verified footage showing the Nicaragua-flagged tanker Petro Dolphin on fire near the Sohar Anchorage in Oman, more than 250 kilometres from the strait, according to maritime intelligence analysis cited in the report. Eleven Indian seafarers were rescued, while two remained missing, according to the Forward Seamen's Union of India. On Tuesday, the container ship GFS Pride sank after being hit by an unknown projectile in the strait, and its 21 crew members were safely evacuated.

What remains unclear is who carried out the attacks and whether the pattern will continue at the same pace. The reporting says the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later published footage that appeared to show the GFS Pride sinking and claimed the vessel was carrying contraband, but the full circumstances of the strike were not independently established in the supplied material. The next developments to watch are whether further attacks are reported this week, whether shipping volumes continue to slow, and whether military escorts are expanded further.

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