28 Attacks on Ships in October as Oil Tankers Continue to Transit the Strait of Hormuz
Key Facts
Shipping operators recorded 28 attacks on ships in October, the highest number since the war began, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, as cited by The Associated Press. The company said in a webinar on Thursday that operators active in the Gulf were “showing few signs of retreat” despite the attacks. The AP reported that a British military monitor described October as the month with the highest number of reported attacks on commercial shipping since the first weeks of the war in March. In a separate incident, Iranian television reported that seven tankers were damaged or caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. The Associated Press could not independently verify that report, and the account that a Kuwaiti tanker had been hit was not confirmed.
Still, tanker operators continue to move oil through the strait at night, using a corridor protected by U.S. forces near Oman’s coast, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, as cited by The Associated Press. Ships turn off their positioning systems and phones during the voyage, the company said. After crossing the strait, tankers transfer crude to other vessels waiting in the Gulf of Oman for shipment to customers in Asia. Ship-to-ship transfers take several days, adding time to the supply journey. Lloyd’s said the corridor known as the “dark night transfer,” overseen by U.S. Central Command, has helped restore oil shipments from the Gulf to levels close to those before the war, but at a higher cost in time, money and risks to seafarers.
Spot charter rates for tankers have risen to hundreds of thousands of dollars a day, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, as cited by The Associated Press. The cost comes as oil continues to move through the strait, but shipping operations require nighttime arrangements and transfers of crude between vessels. On an alternative route, Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser said oil flows through the East-West pipeline had risen from two million barrels a day to seven million, three times their previous level. The pipeline bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, according to the AP report. The expansion provides an additional route for moving crude alongside the sea corridor that tankers continue to use despite operational risks and high costs.
Maritime risks coincide with the United States sending more military assets to the region, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops, according to The Associated Press. The agency described the buildup as part of the largest U.S. force of ships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades. In a separate report, the AP said the two carriers in the region are the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, alongside the USS Boxer amphibious group. In contrast, an Iranian military commander said his country would not allow U.S. warships to enter the Persian Gulf or approach its territorial waters, according to the official IRNA news agency, as cited by The Associated Press. The statements show continuing tensions over the military presence and shipping routes in the region.
On the diplomatic track, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained open to diplomacy but was ready to defend itself. Iran is promoting a proposal to end the war and fully reopen the strait within a week if Washington meets its conditions, including ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, according to The Associated Press. The agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal last month, while both sides acknowledged that indirect talks were continuing. A United Nations spokesperson also called for diplomacy between the two countries, saying: “For the people of the region and the wider world, we need to reopen this waterway and reduce tensions.” The Associated Press warned that a return to all-out fighting could threaten civilians and complicate global supplies of oil, natural gas and fertilizer, and could lead to another price surge.