Tanker attacks in Strait of Hormuz surge to wartime high, Iran tries choking oil

Iran has stepped up attacks on commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to choke off a recent rebound in crude exports. Maritime authorities logged 11 tankers struck in the week ending Oct. 4 - the highest weekly toll since the war began - with another five incidents reported since. Specific attacks include a projectile strike on the UAE-owned tanker On Peace that injured 12 Indian sailors, and hits that set fire to Gem No. 2 and struck a vessel off Qatar. The Joint Maritime Information Center and regional security firms warn Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is asserting control over transit lanes and threatening to block or pursue ships that use routes it deems illicit, prompting repeated alerts to commercial shipping.

The surge in violence comes even as U.S. naval escorts helped push Middle East exports back toward prewar volumes in September; Centcom said some 20 million barrels transited the strait while Kpler data shows current flows have since dropped to about 8.5 million barrels per day through Hormuz (roughly 40% below prewar) and 15.3 million bpd for the broader Middle East (about 10% below prewar). International Maritime Organization tallies attribute around 100 attacks in the region since February and at least 24 sailor deaths overall, underlining growing maritime risk and the prospect that sustained disruptions will further reduce exports and raise shipping hazards.