Attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz hit record levels in October
Escalation of attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz during October, with over 30 oil tankers affected.
Translated by Qiyas from السياسة — Original source
-28 attacks mark highest monthly toll since 2017
- More than 30 supertankers damaged in attacks during the war
The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways have turned into a battleground for escalating maritime attacks, after October recorded the highest number of assaults on commercial vessels since global monitoring of maritime security incidents began in 2017, amid growing damage to oil tankers and concerns over shipping movements and energy markets.
According to data compiled by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, there were 28 confirmed attacks in October, bringing the total to 113 since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.
Noam Raedane, a senior fellow at the institute and manager of its interactive shipping incident map, said October saw the highest number of attacks on ships ever, noting that most incidents recorded in September and October were concentrated in the Strait of Hormuz.
These figures align with data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which documented 120 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Middle East region since the war began.
Damage affects 3.5% of the supertanker fleet
A Reuters review of IMO records and MarineTraffic data revealed that more than 30 supertankers were damaged in the attacks, including 11 in October alone.
The damaged tankers represent about 3.5% of the global supertanker fleet, which exceeds 900 vessels, each with a capacity of approximately two million barrels of crude oil.
Despite security risks, tanker owners have increased loading of oil from the Gulf, driven by daily shipping rates rising to over $1 million, alongside discounts offered by regional producers compared to Brent crude benchmarks.
Greek consultancy Maersk said October became the month with the highest density of maritime attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and its vicinity since fighting escalated in March, noting that 12 ships were attacked between October 5 and 11, marking the highest weekly toll since the conflict began.
Pressure on energy markets and difficulty in counting attacks
Raedane believed that intensifying Iranian attacks aim to slow the recovery of navigation and continue pressure on global energy markets ahead of the US midterm elections in November.
Reuters had previously reported that senior Iranian officials acknowledged Tehran’s adoption of these tactics.
Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced it had recorded 135 incidents related to the US-Iran conflict as of October 16, noting the difficulty in capturing all incidents due to limited voluntary reports from shipping companies.
The agency’s data showed a sharp rise in the volume of damage to ships during October, reflecting escalating risks facing commercial navigation in the region.
