Iran Says It Shot Down US Drone as 28 Ship Attacks Recorded in October
Key Facts
Iran’s military said its air defenses shot down a US LUCAS drone over the city of Bandar Abbas, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing the military on Sunday. The announcement came as Tehran said 7 oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight on October 22. The Associated Press reported that the tankers were struck or hit naval mines, but it could not independently confirm the account of the attacks. No US confirmation of the drone’s downing appeared in the available material. The two developments bring together a new military claim and rising risks to a key energy export route.
Data cited by the Associated Press from Lloyd’s List Intelligence showed 28 attacks on ships in October through the 22nd, the highest number since the war began. The company said active Gulf operators showed few signs of withdrawing despite the increase in attacks. The UK Maritime Trade Operations also reported that October saw the highest number of reported attacks on commercial vessels since March, in the first weeks of the war. The agency had not reported the latest tanker attacks. These events show maritime traffic continuing alongside widening risks to commercial vessels.
Oil tankers continue to transit the strait under US military protection, using a route near the Omani coast, according to the Associated Press. Ship operators began using a US-supervised route in May, with tankers crossing at night with their location systems and phones switched off, then transferring oil to other vessels outside the strait. The agency estimated that an average of about 6 million barrels per day or more passed through the nighttime transfer route through September, at least 40% of prewar flows. The method brought Gulf oil shipments back to levels close to those before the war, but adds to the voyage’s burden and risks for seafarers. Ship-to-ship transfers take several days, while spot tanker charter rates have surged to hundreds of thousands of dollars per day.
As an alternative route for oil flows, Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser said throughput on the East-West pipeline had risen from 2 million barrels per day to 7 million barrels per day. The pipeline extends beyond the Strait of Hormuz, enabling oil to be transported along a route that does not pass through the disrupted waterway. The figures cited by the Associated Press indicate an increase in the volume transported through the pipeline, not a change in its capacity. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said, "Commercial vessels should not be attacked," calling for the waterway to be reopened and tensions reduced. He added that reopening it was necessary "for the people of the region and the wider world."
On the diplomatic front, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan said Tehran remained open to talks under an interim agreement brokered by Pakistan in June to end the conflict. He added that Iran had told Pakistan it was ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifted its naval blockade. The Associated Press said US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal the previous month, while both sides acknowledged that indirect talks were continuing. The agency also reported that the June agreement collapsed within days and that mediators were seeking to bring Washington and Tehran back to formal talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran "remains open to diplomacy, but is ready to defend itself."
Iran says its proposal would end the war and fully reopen the strait within a week if the United States meets conditions that include ending its blockade of Iranian ports. Both sides, meanwhile, acknowledged continued indirect contacts, without announcing a date for formal talks to resume. The Associated Press linked the risk of renewed fighting to possible disruptions to deliveries of oil, natural gas and fertilizer from the region. Such disruptions could push prices higher again, according to the agency. Reopening the strait and reducing tensions remain central to UN calls and diplomatic efforts, while tankers continue to transit under security measures and at higher cost.