28 Attacks on Ships in Hormuz Through Oct. 26 as Tankers Continue to Transit
Key Facts
Noam Raydan recorded 28 confirmed and reported attacks on ships in October through the 26th, the highest tally since the start of the war, according to the researcher as cited by The Times of India. The month was not yet over, so the figure reflects the count through the report date, not October’s final total. In a separate tally, the International Maritime Organization said 27 attacks had targeted commercial vessels through Oct. 22, according to USNI News. The figures differ because they come from separate tallies and sources: the count of 28 is attributed to Lloyd’s List, while USNI cited data from the International Maritime Organization. In both cases, October’s tally so far exceeds the 22 attacks recorded in March, according to the International Maritime Organization.
The attacks have not halted shipping entirely. A total of 104 vessels not linked to Iran transited the strait between Oct. 5 and 11, a period that saw 12 attacks, according to data reported by USNI News. The number of transits fell from 126 vessels the previous week, but remained 31% above the weekly average in August. Lloyd’s List said active Gulf operators showed little inclination to pull back despite 28 attacks being recorded in October. Oil is transported at night along a U.S.-protected route near the Omani coast, while GPS systems and phones are switched off, according to the company as cited by The Associated Press.
The cost of risk is also evident in the shipping market: spot tanker charter rates surged to hundreds of thousands of dollars a day at the time of The Associated Press report on Oct. 22. Ship-to-ship oil transfers can take several days, adding time to shipping arrangements in the region. The agency reported that tankers continue to move oil through the strait under U.S. military protection. Separately, Iranian television said seven tankers caught fire or were damaged overnight after being attacked or striking naval mines. The agency said it could not independently verify the Iranian account, leaving the announcement attributed to Tehran.
The region’s oil exports rely in part on a route that bypasses the strait. Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser said flows through the East-West pipeline had tripled to a capacity of 7 million barrels a day, compared with 2 million barrels before the increase. The pipeline allows oil to be transported along an alternative route to Hormuz, according to the statement cited by The Associated Press. But the continued use of the strait under military protection, along with high charter costs and the duration of ship-to-ship transfers, keeps maritime developments directly relevant to oil-shipping arrangements. Raydan said keeping risks elevated does not require targeting every ship or individual company. A maritime analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses described Iran’s use of the strait as a bargaining tool, according to USNI News.
The United Nations called on Washington and Tehran to pursue diplomacy to reopen the strait and reduce tensions, according to The Associated Press, citing spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. Dujarric said: "For the people of the region and the wider world, we need to see this waterway open, and we need to see tensions reduced." The appeal puts reopening the passage and de-escalation at the center of the proposed diplomatic path, as Gulf operators continue to transit the strait amid the risks. The statement set no date for talks or next steps, and the available facts included no timeline for reopening the passage. The latest shipping measure cited here remains the 104 vessels not linked to Iran recorded during the week of Oct. 5–11, alongside 12 attacks.