Commercial ships have been struck in the Strait of Hormuz nearly every day this month, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Between Oct. 1 and Tuesday, nine ships—mostly crude oil tankers—were hit in the strait or off the coast of Oman, the IMO said. Two additional ships have been struck since, with one hit on Wednesday and another on Friday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Wednesday’s attack was on an unnamed tanker off the coast of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, in the Persian Gulf. Friday’s attack was on an unnamed vessel, according to UKMTO.
The attacks come as the U.S. and Iran have been engaged in indirect talks for the first time since a memorandum of understanding struck in June fell apart, according to War on the Rocks. On Oct. 8, U.S. President Donald Trump said “productive discussions” were underway. Tehran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, but traffic through the chokepoint has trended upward, and Iran is demanding upfront financial returns, which the Trump administration sees as far from satisfactory, the analysis said.
The heightened rate of attacks in recent days is likely Tehran’s way of signaling it can still inject more volatility into the market, according to War on the Rocks, but that won’t be enough to force Washington into accepting Iranian terms. The analysis also noted that a window of opportunity for Iran will soon close, as the Trump administration is less likely to feel pressure to address high oil prices and an unpopular war after the midterm elections on Nov. 3.
In a separate development, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln returned home Oct. 9 after a long deployment, with families watching as the ship arrived, according to Military.com.
Sources: Military.com · War on the Rocks