Projectile Hits One Tanker in Hormuz Amid Conflicting Reports of Other Attacks

Key Facts

Data from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said one tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on October 23, differing from the draft account of three additional tankers on October 26. The agency said its available warning relates to this single incident. In a report published on October 22, the Associated Press cited Iranian television as saying seven tankers were damaged or caught fire overnight in the strait, either in attacks or after hitting sea mines. But the AP said it could not independently verify the account. The attacks also did not appear in UKMTO reports, according to the AP.

Iranian television detailed its account, saying four oil-carrying tankers were targeted and three other tankers were damaged and disabled after striking sea mines. The AP reported these details in its October 22 report, noting that it had not independently verified the account. The figures concerning those tankers therefore remain attributed to the Iranian side and do not constitute a confirmed record of incidents. The incident reported by UKMTO, meanwhile, involved one tanker and an unidentified projectile on October 23. This distinction separates the recorded maritime incident from the broader claims of attacks on the nights of October 21 and 22.

Despite the risks, oil tankers continued transiting the strait overnight under U.S. military protection, according to the AP. The agency said some operators took a route close to the Omani coast and switched off positioning systems and phones during overnight voyages. These measures reflect how voyages are being operated amid tense security conditions as operators continue moving crude from Gulf producers. The tankers transfer oil to other vessels waiting in the Gulf of Oman for delivery to customers in Asia. Ship-to-ship transfers can take several days, the agency said.

Lloyd's List Intelligence recorded 28 attacks on vessels during October, the highest number since the war began, according to the AP, citing a webinar the company held on Thursday. The figure places attacks attributed to Iran and the incident recorded by UKMTO within a month of extensive activity against vessels, while verification of each incident remains necessary. Against the risks of transiting the strait, the capacity of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline rose from 2 million barrels per day to 7 million barrels per day, according to Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser, as quoted by the agency. The pipeline provides a route for moving oil away from the strait, while the increase shows the volume that can be redirected through it. The agency did not say this capacity eliminated the need for maritime shipping through Hormuz.

Brent crude settled at $116.72 a barrel on October 23, then at $115.10 on October 26, according to EL7 data. West Texas Intermediate settled at $103.27 a barrel on October 23, before recording $101.28 on October 26. The settlements show both benchmarks declined between the two dates, without the data linking the move to the tanker incident or the Iranian reports. On October 22, a United Nations spokesperson called for commercial vessels not to be targeted and for diplomacy between the United States and Iran to resume to open the strait and reduce tensions. On the same day, the AP reported that the United States was sending additional military assets to the region, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops.