28 Ship Attacks in Hormuz in October as Strikes Spread to the Gulf

Key Facts

A tanker was hit by two unidentified projectiles on its port side on Sunday evening, November 1, 72 nautical miles east of Ras Al Khafji, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations organization reported that all crew members were safe and there was no pollution. The strike took place in the Arabian Gulf, outside the Strait of Hormuz, adding an incident to a separate distress report involving a vessel hit by a projectile inside the strait. Vanguard Tech identified the vessel inside the strait as the Emirati tugboat Silaat Storm, saying it was partially sinking and the condition of its crew was unclear. The two incidents followed the LNG carrier Al Mayyadah being hit by unidentified objects while transiting the Gulf on the evening of October 30. The closely spaced incidents indicate that risks affected vessels in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz over several days, while a headline published by EL7 on October 31 reported 28 confirmed attacks on ships in Hormuz during October.

Nakilat said none of Al Mayyadah’s crew members were injured and the incident had no environmental impact. It added that the vessel was “in a safe and operational condition” and that it was assessing the impact of what happened. The carrier was hit while transiting the Arabian Gulf on Friday evening, October 30, according to the company’s statement. The tanker reported by UK Maritime Trade Operations on Sunday evening was hit by two unidentified projectiles while sailing in the southeastern Gulf. The organization said all crew members were accounted for and no pollution was reported. By contrast, the condition of the Silaat Storm crew remained unclear after the vessel was hit inside the strait, according to Vanguard Tech.

The Associated Press described October as the busiest month for reported attacks on commercial vessels since March, which saw the first weeks of the war. An EL7 headline published on October 31 said the number of confirmed attacks on ships in Hormuz reached 28 during the month. The figures refer to different measures: the first compares October with March over time, based on reported attacks on commercial vessels, while the second is the number of confirmed attacks in Hormuz cited in the EL7 headline. In the Gulf, the agency reported that the UAE had faced the largest number of Iranian attacks since the war began. It cited the International Institute for Strategic Studies as saying that more than 3,000 drones and ballistic missiles targeted airports and military and oil facilities in the UAE, most of which were intercepted. This places the latest vessel incidents in the context of wider threats against targets in the region, without establishing a direct link between those attacks and the maritime incidents cited.

The U.S. Department of Transportation maintained its risk assessment at a high level for the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. Maritime Administration said risks to navigation and Iranian attacks on commercial shipping “remain high” in these areas, citing threats including missiles, armed drones and unmanned surface vessels. The warning covers a broader geographic area than the strait, as a tanker was reported hit east of Ras Al Khafji in the Arabian Gulf. The three incidents involved damage to or strikes on vessels of different types: a tanker, an LNG carrier and a tugboat. The company operating Al Mayyadah said the vessel remained operational, while no comparable information was available about the condition of the Silaat Storm after it was reported to be partially sinking.

On the diplomatic front, the Associated Press said Tehran was awaiting the latest U.S. response to a proposal that would allow the Strait of Hormuz to fully reopen to shipping within two days if Washington met several conditions. The agency did not describe the proposal as a deal that had been reached; instead, it tied the strait’s reopening to the conditions being met and the U.S. response. According to the agency, China will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November, as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning announced on Monday. The expected move brings regional capitals into diplomatic efforts related to maritime security, as warnings of elevated maritime risks continue. The proposed timeline for reopening the strait remains conditional on Washington’s decision, while the Chinese envoy is expected to arrive during the specified period of the month.