Iran Says It Is Striking Ships Nightly in Strait of Hormuz

The Big Picture

Iran says it has been attacking ships nightly in and around the Strait of Hormuz, expanding pressure on an oil-export route that Iranian officials say is supported by the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

The claims come amid a rise in reported maritime incidents, including a projectile strike on an outbound tanker, a fire aboard another tanker near the UAE coast and reports of mine damage. The Strait of Hormuz remains a vital energy chokepoint, but crude flows through it have dropped substantially as ship operators confront mounting risks.

What Happened

Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's security chief, said on October 11 that Iran had been striking five or six vessels each night for weeks. He described the targets as part of a shuttle system in which smaller vessels transfer oil to larger tankers with assistance from US Central Command and the UAE military.

According to Al Jazeera, the system uses smaller ships and very large crude carriers to load oil at Arab ports, travel through a southern corridor near Oman's coast and conduct ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman. Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz was under Iranian control and warned that Tehran would target the shuttle operation.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three tankers suffered major damage after striking mines over the October 10-11 weekend. In a separate statement on October 10, the IRGC Navy said an unnamed crude-oil supertanker struck a naval mine, caught fire and had been using what Iran called an unauthorised route with its navigation systems switched off. The IRGC warned that tankers ignoring the strait's "security and rules" could face a similar fate.

UK Maritime Trade Operations reported several incidents involving military action or warnings to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. It said ships near Ras al-Khaimah were instructed by radio to leave anchorages, and later reported that an unidentified projectile hit a tanker outbound through the strait.

The UAE coastguard said it rescued 22 crew members after a fire broke out aboard an unnamed tanker near the country's coast. It did not identify the cause. Al Jazeera separately reported that the Petro Dolphin oil tanker was apparently hit by a drone off Oman, with black smoke rising from the vessel.

What Each Side Is Saying

Iranian military chief Habibollah Sayyari said on October 11 that Iranian forces had struck "enemy vessels" and would strike again if Iran faced further action. A senior IRGC official also said Iran would block what it called illicit routes through the strait, according to the Fars News Agency.

The United States has presented its own account of the confrontation. CENTCOM released footage on October 11 showing a fighter jet bombing the stern of a Panama-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its propulsion. CENTCOM said the vessel was attempting to run the US blockade of Iranian southern ports.

CENTCOM says that since the US reimposed its blockade in mid-July, it has disabled four commercial vessels, turned around 135 ships and destroyed 10 tankers linked to Iran. It also says Iran has exported no oil through the blockade line.

The opposing accounts underscore the dispute over control of the waterway. Iran has portrayed shipping as subject to its rules, while CENTCOM said on October 7 that 20 million barrels of crude had transited the strait, rejecting Iranian claims that it was closed.

Why It Matters

Kpler data cited by CNBC and Al Jazeera showed crude exports through Hormuz averaged 8.5 million barrels a day in the week ending October 7, about 40 percent below normal prewar levels. Windward data showed an average of 31 ships a day transiting the strait in the final week of September, compared with 138 a day before the war.

At least nine sailors have been killed in ship attacks since July, according to the International Maritime Organization. Windward said at least 15 ships had been targeted in October as of October 12. Its figures also show that tankers accounted for 87 percent of the 45 vessels targeted by Iran in the third quarter, while 93 percent of the strikes occurred in the Strait of Hormuz.

What Happens Next

Iran has signalled that vessels using the southern corridor near Oman could remain at risk, while the United States continues to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports. The maritime incidents and sharply reduced shipping traffic suggest that any continued confrontation could further complicate efforts to sustain Gulf energy exports.