130 Incidents and 25 Confirmed Deaths as Attacks Remain Elevated in Hormuz
Key Facts
In its update issued on November 6, 2026, INTERTANKO warned that attacks on ships remained elevated inside the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, although the rest of the Gulf region remained relatively calm. The assessment by the organization, which represents the shipping industry, came amid a broader toll documented by the International Maritime Organization: 130 confirmed incidents and 25 seafarer deaths through November 6. INTERTANKO said the attacks involved multiple munitions and appeared to target mainly the stern of the vessel, near the engine room. In the organization’s assessment, this pattern points to a greater focus on disabling the targeted vessel itself. The cited sources were unable to verify the effect of the developments on insurance premiums or shipping costs.
INTERTANKO said Iranian forces had used small boats in at least two attacks to attach limpet mines to the outer hulls of ships sailing inside the Gulf. It added that attackers were now using at least two types of munitions against ships, alongside more precise targeting of specific locations. The organization described the change as a refinement of the attack method and said the tactics "appear designed to stop and disable the targeted vessel." This assessment focuses on the effect of an attack on the vessel under assault; it does not establish that the aim is to halt maritime traffic across the entire region. The organization also said the targeting appeared to focus mainly on the stern, in the engine-room area.
The International Maritime Organization’s list of confirmed incidents shows that the VIEILA was damaged on November 5, 16 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman, with no pollution. The previous day, damage was reported to the VELOS SAPPHIRE 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, and one seafarer was killed. The International Maritime Organization linked another seafarer’s death to an attack on the VELOS SAPPHIRE in the Strait of Hormuz on November 5. The organization says it compiles incident data after verification involving flag states, coastal states and reliable external sources. Its total stood at 130 confirmed incidents and 25 seafarer deaths through November 6, placing INTERTANKO’s warning within a broader record of confirmed maritime incidents.
The November 6 update followed a month that saw the highest number of attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz since March, according to the Associated Press. The agency placed this in the context of Iran’s effort to increase economic pressure on the United States to get it to lift its blockade. This provides context for the intensity of attacks in October, while INTERTANKO’s latest assessment focuses on their continued elevated level inside the Gulf and strait. In August, the International Maritime Organization said as many as 400 ships carrying about 6,000 seafarers had been unable to leave the Gulf safely since the conflict began. Those figures remain a dated indicator of disrupted departures during that period; INTERTANKO’s update does not specify how many ships are currently affected.
INTERTANKO warned that a period of uncertainty over the management of the conflict would continue and said a quick end was unlikely. It attributed the continued uncertainty in decision-making partly to the fact that the new U.S. Congress would not convene until January, according to the update. Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization’s Council urged member states to avoid illegal actions that could endanger seafarers’ safety and international navigation, and said it would consider further practical measures to reduce the loss of life. The organization’s secretary-general said seafarers "continue to lose their lives, suffer serious injuries, and some face abandonment and being prevented from returning home." The two organizations’ messages thus focus on continuing risks to crew safety, while the sources offer no estimate of when the conflict will end or how maritime traffic may change later.