7 Tankers Damaged or Set Ablaze in Hormuz as Passage Continues Under U.S. Protection
Key Facts
Iran said 7 oil tankers were set ablaze or damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight from October 21 to 22, after being attacked or striking naval mines, the Associated Press reported, citing Tehran, on Thursday. The agency could not independently verify the claim, and the available information does not establish that Iran made a new announcement imposing a full blockade on October 26. By contrast, the agency said tankers continued to carry oil through the strait under U.S. military protection despite escalating attacks. This puts the account of damage against the reality of continued shipping traffic, without implying that it is risk-free. The security of the passage remains central to the flow of oil from the Gulf, as regional efforts to contain the escalation continue.
Data cited by the Associated Press from Lloyd’s List Intelligence point to 28 attacks on ships during October, the highest number since the war began. Even so, active Gulf operators have shown no major signs of withdrawing, according to the maritime intelligence specialist. Continued activity alongside the rising number of attacks reflects a high-risk operating environment for ships and their crews. Continued passage under U.S. protection also provides a route for oil shipments, but does not eliminate the threats to navigation. Seafarer safety and the cost of voyages remain part of the escalation’s impact on regional shipping.
The Associated Press said what it described as the “dark shuttle,” overseen by U.S. Central Command, helped return oil shipments leaving the Gulf to levels close to those before the war. But the agency said this came at a higher cost in time, money and seafarer safety. This trade-off shows that continued shipping does not mean a return to normal transport conditions, even as shipment volumes approach their previous levels. Military protection and transit arrangements come with operational burdens and risks to people, according to the report. This adds a practical dimension to the impact of the attacks, beyond simply whether tankers continue to pass through.
As a partial alternative route for transporting oil, Saudi Aramco chief Amin Nasser said the capacity of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline had risen from 2 million barrels per day to 7 million barrels per day, the Associated Press reported, citing Al Arabiya Business. The increase provides an overland route for moving oil within Saudi Arabia, away from maritime passage through Hormuz. But it does not diminish the strait’s importance to shipping, nor does it by itself show that tankers have stopped using it; the agency reported that passage continued under U.S. protection. The pipeline thus stands out among options for transporting supplies at a time when shipping faces a wave of attacks. The capacity figure remains attributed to Nasser’s statement, as reported by the agency.
On the diplomatic front, the Associated Press said Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Sunday in coordination with the United States as part of efforts to ease regional tensions. These moves come as tankers continue to pass under U.S. military protection and attacks on ships remain at elevated levels, according to the data cited in the report. The available information gives no outcome for the efforts or date for a subsequent round, but places Qatar’s move in the context of an attempt to contain the escalation. Qatar and Pakistan had helped mediate a June agreement aimed at fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. The agency said the agreement quickly collapsed after attacks resumed, highlighting the fragility of the earlier diplomatic track.